' 

; 

: 

' 

1 

' 

i 

^m 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


aOONE  TAKEN   PBISONBE. 


(2) 


PIOi\EER  LIFE  m  THE  WEST; 

COMPBISINO  THE  ADTEKTURES   OF 

BOONE  KENTON  BRADY,  CLAEKE 
THE  WHETZELS, 

AND  OTHERS, 

IN  THEIR  FIERCE  ENCOUNTERS 

WITH  THE  INDIANS. 


V  '  J  > 


'  '        «   4 


PHILADKLPHIA: 

John  E.  Potter  and  Company, 

617    SANiOM    SlREEr. 


EnUred     ccording  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1838,  by 
J.  W.  BRADLEY, 

Ib  the  Clerk'i  *fiice  of  the   District   Court  of  the   Eutern  District  of 

Pennsylvania, 


c  • 

•  «   ► 

ft  c    < 

e  o « 

t  • 


cc     «''    «''    '•■' 


o     *  •     * 

»     «    c  «  *    ^ 


•    •   t  «•      c     « 


'.-    • •  • 


>     •    • 


CONTENTS 


I? 

to 


^      DinriEL  Boone, 9 

C      Simon  Kenton 23 

^      Captain  Brady, 68 

^      Captain  Brady  and  Phouts lOL 

00      Peter  Francisco, 119 

Job  Logstone, 128 

Jessie   Hughes, 139 

Major  McCulloch, 144 

General  George   Rogers  Clarke, 159 

o 

^       The  Whetzels, 160 

The  Foes, 213 

The  Johnsons, , .  226 

O 

O        James  Smith, 233 

Q        William  Burbridoe 264 

a        The  Indian  Trail, 280 

^        Estill's  Defeat, 296 

a        The  Pioneer  AND  THE  Panther 309 

-I 

**        The  Pioneer  AND  the  Bear, 316 

Mbb.  Parker  and  the  Indians 327 


447319 


2lSbeK)fi|^e3  of  S^^Iei  3oo^. 

Daniel  Boone,  one  of  the  first  adven- 
turers who  penetrated  into  the  wilds 
of  Kentucky,  was  born  in  A^irginia,  of 
English  parents,  in  the  year  1730.  Early 
in  his  life  his  parents  emigrated  to  the 
banks  of  the  Yadkin  Eiver,  in  North 
Carolina,  then  recently  settled. 

In  1769,  he,  with  John  Finley,  and  four 

(9) 


10  ADVENTXJRES    OF   DANIEL   BOONE. 

other  companions  crossed  the  wilderness 
bordering  on  the  Cumberland  Mountains, 
in  quest  of  the  region  of  Kentucky,  then 
little  known.  On  the  7th  of  June,  they 
arrived  at  Eed  Kiver,  north  of  the  Ken- 
tucky ;  soon  after  Boone  and  John  Stewart, 
one  of  his  companions,  were  captured  by 
a  party  of  savages;  they  within  ten  days 
escaped,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  the 
rest  of  their  party,  who  had  returned 
home.  Boone  and  Stewart,  would  have 
been  constrained  to  follow  them,  had  not 
Daniel's  brother,  Squire  Boone,  followed 
their  track  from  Korth  Carolina,  and 
brousrht  a  few  necessaries  to  them.  Stew- 
art  being  killed  soon  after  by  the  Indians, 
the  two  Boones  were  left  the  onlv  white 
men  in  the  wilderness.  After  living  to- 
gether in  a  cabin  until  May,  Squire  Boone 
went  home,  returning  however  in  July, 
according  to  agreement.  The  brothers 
then  traversed  the  country  to  the  Cum- 
berland Eiver,  and,  the  following  year, 
returned  to  their  families,  determined  to 
remove  them  to  Kentucky. 


ADVENTURES    OF   DAJ^IEL    BOONE.  11 

In  September,  1773,  Boone  commenced 
his  removal  to  Kentucky,  with  his  own, 
and  five  other  families,  and  was  joined  by 
forty  men,  who  placed  themselves  under 
his  guidance.     Being  attacked  by  the  In- 
dians, six  of  his  men  were  slain,  and  the 
cattle  belonging  to  the  party  dispersed. 
The  survivors   returned,  in   consequence, 
to  the  settlements  on  Clinch  River,  about 
forty  miles  from  the  scene  of  action.     A 
company   from    North    Carolina,    having 
formed  a  plan  of  purchasing  the  lands  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Kentucky  River  from 
the  Southern  Indians,  employed  Boone  to 
buy  a  tract  of  country,  the  limits  of  which 
were  described    to  him.     He   performed 
the  service,  and  soon  after,  made  a  road 
from    the    settlements    on    the    Holston 
to  the   Kentucky  River,  notwithstanding- 
the  incessant  attacks  of  the  Indians,  in 
which  four  of  his  men  were  killed  and  five 
wounded. 

In  1774,  at  the  request  of  Lord  Dun- 
more,  Boone  accompanied  a  party  of 
surveyors  to  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio,  (Lou- 


12  ADVENTURES    OF  DANIEL   BOONE. 

isville,)    and   was    active   in   expeditions 
against  the  Indians  during  that  year. 

In  April,  1775,  he  built  a  fort  at  a 
salt  spring,  on  the  southern  bank  of 
the  Kentucky,  where  Boonesborough  is 
now  situated.  It  consisted  of  a  block 
house  and  several  cabins,  enclosed  with 
palisades. 

In  1777,  he  sustained  two  sieges  in 
Boonesborough  from  the  Indians,  but 
repulsed  them. 

In  the  following  year,  however,  Febru- 
ary 7th,  Boone  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
savages,  while  hunting,  with  a  number 
of  his  men.  In  May,  they  were  conducted 
to  Detroit,  were  they  experienced  great 
kindness  from  Governor  Hamilton,  the 
British  commander  of  that  post.  He 
even  offered  the  Indians  £100  for  their 
prisoner,  in  order  that  he  might  liberate 
him  on  parole,  but  they  would  not  part 
with  him,  having  conceived  for  him  senti- 
ments of  great  affection  and  respect.  On 
his  return  he  was  adopted  by  one  of  the 
principal  chiefs  at  Chilicothe,  and  might 


ill 


mL.       ,. „  _  . 

IJlilililliliiililiiiiliillWIM? 


ADVENTURES    OF   DANIEL   BOONE.  15 

have  been  happy  in  this  situation,  had 
not  the  thoughts  of  his  wife  and  children 
continually  kept  alive  the  desire  of  escape. 

Four  months  after  his  capture,  Boone 
learned  that  five  hundred  warriors  were 
preparing  to  march  against  Boonesbor- 
ough.  One  morning  (June  16th),  i  'ving 
risen  at  the  usual  hunting  hour,  he 
departed,  apparently  for  the  woods,  but  in 
reality  for  Boonesborough.  He  arrived 
there  on  the  20th  of  June ;  after  a  journey 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  performed 
in  four  days,  having  eaten,  it  is  said,  but 
one  meal  during  that  time. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  a  body  of 
savages,  to  the  number  of  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  commanded  by  Canadian 
Frenchmen  and  some  of  their  own  chiefs, 
invested  the  fort  with  British  colors  flying. 
Boone  was  summoned  to  surrender,  but 
announced  his  determination,  and  that  of 
the  garrison,  who  amounted  to  but  fifty 
men,  "to  defend  the  fort  as  long  as  a  man 
of  them  was  alive." 

The  enemy  then  resolved  to  obtain  it 


16  ADVENTURES   OF   DANIEL   BOONE. 

by  stratagem,  and  requested  that  nine  of 
the  principal  persons  of  the  garrison 
would  come  out  and  treat  with  them, 
promising  terms  so  favorable,  that  the 
invitation  was  accepted.  After  the  arti- 
cles of  the  treaty  had  been  signed,  Boone 
and  his  companions  were  told  that  it  was 
customary,  upon  such  occasions,  among 
the  Indians,  for  tw^o  of  them  to  shake 
each  white  man  by  the  hand,  in  order  to 
evince  the  sincerity  of  their  friendship. 

This  was  also  agreed  to;  and,  accord- 
ingly, tw^o  Indians  approached  each  of 
the  nine,  and,  taking  his  hands,  graj)- 
pled  him,  with  the  intent  of  making 
him  prisoner.  Their  object  being  then 
immediately  perceived,  Boone  and  his 
companions  extricated  themselves,  and 
retreated  into  the  fort,  amid  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  savages. 

An  attack  was  then  quickly  commenced, 
and  continued  until  the  20th  of  August, 
when  the  enemy  abandoned  the  siege. 
Boone's  wife  and  children  had  left  the 
fort  before  the  sieG:e  commenced,  to  2:0  to 


rRENCH  AND  INDIANS  ATTACKINQ    BOONESBOROCGH. 


(17) 


ADVENTURES    OF    DAMEL    BOONE. 


19 


BOONE    PURSUED    BY    INDIANS. 


the  residence  of  Mrs.  Bocne's  father  on 
the  Yadkin,  where  Boone  visited  them 
in  1779.  In  October,  as  Boone  was 
returning  from  the  Blue  Licks,  with  his 
brother,  the  latter  was  slain,  and  Boone 
pursued  by  a  party  of  Indians  for  three 


L'O  ADVENTURES    OF    DANIEL    BOONE. 

miles,  by  tlie  aid  of  a  dog;  but,  having 
killed  the  animal,  he  escaped. 

In  1782,  the  depredations  of  the  sava- 
ges increasing  to  an  intolerable  extent, 
Boone,  with  other  militia  officers,  collected 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six  men,  and 
went  in  pursuit  of  a  large  body,  who  had 
marched  bevond  the  Blue  Licks,  to  a 
bend  of  the  main  fork  of  the  Lickins: 
River,  forty  miles  from  Lexington.  They 
overtook  them  August  19th,  but,  being 
much  inferior  in  numbers,  were  obliged 
to  retreat. 

G  meral  Clarke,  then  at  the  fails  of 
the  Ohio,  immediately  assembled  a  con- 
siderable number  of  men,  and  commenced 
the  pursuit  of  the  savages,  accompanied 
by  Boone. 

In  the  year  1798,  in  consequence  of  a 
defect  in  his  title  to  lands  in  Kentucky, 
Boone  was  dispossessed  of  what  was  an 
ample  estate,  and  nuulc  poor.  The  region 
he  had  explored,  and  helped  to  defend, 
now  contained  a  ])()pulation  of  half  a 
million.     Indignant  because  of  being  dis- 


ADVENTURES    OF    DANIEL    BOONE.  21 

possessed,  he  shouldered  his  rifle,  left 
Kentucky  forever,  and,  with  some  fol- 
lowers, plunged  into  the  wild  forests  of 
Missouri,  west  of  the  Mississippi.  He 
received  a  grant  of  two  thousand  acres 
of  land,  in  Upper  Louisiana,  from  the 
Spanish  authorities,  and  his  children  and 
followers  were  also  presented  with  eight 
hundred  acres  each.  He  settled  with 
them  on  the  Missouri  River,  at  Charette, 
some  distance  beyond  the  inhabited  parts 
of  the  country,  where  he  followed  his 
usual  course  of  life — hunting  and  trap- 
ping for  bears,  until  September,  1822, 
when  he  died,  at  the  residence  of  his  son 
Major  A.  Bnone,  in  Montgomery  County, 
in  the  eiG:htieth  vear  of  his  a2:e.  He  had 
been  gradually  declining  for  some  years 
previous  to  his  decease.  It  is  related 
that,  some  time  before  that  event,  he  had 
two  coffins  made  out  of  a  favorite  cherry 
tree,  the  first  of  which,  not  fitting,  he 
gave  to  a  son-in-law ;  in  the  second  he 
was  buried,  having  bestowed  on  it  a  fine 
polish,  by  a  course  of  rubbing  for  several 


22 


ADYEXTURES    OF    DANIEL    BOONE. 


years.      His    sons    and    daugliters    still 
reside  in  Missouri. 


StSbei]fq^e3  of  §Iiii)oif)  i^ciiioi]. 

Simon  Kenton  first  came  out  to  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  year  1771,  at  which  time  he 
was  a  youth  of  sixteen.  He  was  ahnost 
constantly  engaged  in  conflicts  with  the 
Indians  from  that  time  until  the  treaty 
of  Greenville.  He  was  probably  in  more 
expeditions  against  the  Indians,  encoun- 
tered greater  peril,  and  had  more  narrow 

escapes    from   death,    than  any   man   of 

(28) 


24  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMCK!^    KENTO?^. 

his  time.  The  many  incidents  of  his 
romantic  and  eventful  life,  are  well  de- 
tailed by  his  friend  and  biographer, 
Colonel  John  M' Donald,  from  whose  work 
we  extract  the  thrilling  narrative  of  his 
captivity  and  hair-breadth  escapes  from  a 
cruel  and  lingering  death, 

Kenton  lay  about  Boone's  and  Logan's 
stations,  till  ease  became  irksome  to  him. 
About  the  1st  of  September  of  this  same 
year,  1778,  we  tind  him  preparing  for 
another  Indiau  expedition.  Alexander 
Montgomery  and  George  Clark  joined 
him,  and  they  set  off  from  Boone's  sta- 
tion, for  the  avowed  .purpose  of  obtaining 
horses  from  the  Indians.  They  crossed 
the  Ohio,  and  proceeded  cautiously  to 
Chillicothe,  (now  Oldtown,  Koss  county.) 
They  arrived  at  the  town  without  meet- 
ing any  adventure.  In  the  niglit  they 
fell  in  with  a  drove  of  horses  that  were 
feeding  in  the  rich  prairies.  They  were 
prepared  with  salt  and  halters.  They 
had  much  difficulty  to  catch  the  horses; 
however,  at  length   they  succeeded,   and 


SIMON   KENTON. 


(25) 


AD\ENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON.     27 

as  soon  as  the  horses  were  haltered,  they 
dashed  off  with  seven — a  pretty  good 
haul. 

Tli-ey  traveled  with  all  the  speed  they 
could  to  the  Ohio.  They  came  to  the 
Ohio  near  the  mouth  of  Eagle  creek,  now 
in  Brown  county.  When  they  came  to 
the  river,  the  wind  blew  almost  a  hurri- 
cane. The  waves  ran  so  high  that  the 
horses  were  frightened,  and  could  not  be 
induced  to  take  the  water.  It  was  late 
in  the  evening.  They  then  rode  back 
into  the  hills  some  distance  from  the 
river,  hobbled  and  turned  their  horses 
loose  to  graze;  while  they  turned  back 
some  distance,  and  watched  the  trail  they 
had  come,  to  discover  whether  or  not  they 
were  pursued. 

Here  they  remained  till  the  following 
day,  when  the  wind  subsided.  As  soon 
as  the  wind  fell  they  caught  their  liorses, 
and  went  again  to  the  river;  but  their 
horses  were  so  frightened  with  the  waves 
the  day  before,  that  all  their  efforts  could 
not    induce    them    to    take    the    water. 


23  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMoN    KENT(»f. 

This  was  a  sore  disappointment  to  our 
adventurers.  They  were  satisfied  that 
tliey  were  pursued  by  the  enemy;  they 
therefore  determined  to  lose  no  more  time 
in  useless  efforts  to  cross  the  Ohio;  they 
concluded  to  select  thi-ee  of  the  best 
horses,  and  make  their  way  to  the  falls  of 
the  Ohio,  where  General  Clark  had  left 
some  men  stationed. 

Each  made  choice  of  a  horse,  and  the 
other  horses  were  turned  loose  to  shift 
for  themselves.  After  the  spare  horses 
had  been  loosed,  and  permitted  to  ramble 
off,  avarice  whispered  to  them,  and  why 
not  take  all  the  horses?  The  loose  horses 
had  by  this  time  scattered  and  straggled 
out  of  sight.  Our  party  now  separated 
to  hunt  up  the  horses  they  had  turned 
loose. 

Kenton  went  towards  the  river,  and 
had  not  gone  far  before  he  heard  a  whoop 
in  the  direction  of  where  thev  had  been 
trying  to  force  the  horses  into  the  water. 
He  got  off  his  horse  and  tied  him,  and 
then  crept  with  the  stealthy  tread  of  a 


ADTENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON.     29 


— ""^^jyv 


INDIAN    HORSEMEN. 

cat,  to  make  observations  in  the  direction 

he  heard  the  whoop.     Just  as  he  reached 

the    high    bank    of    the    river,    he    met 

the  Indians  on  horseback.     Being  unper- 

ceived  by  them,  but  so  nigh  that  it  was 

impossible    for   him    to    retreat    without 

being     discovered,    he     concluded      the 

boldest  course  to  be  the  safest,  and  very 

deliberately   took    aim    at   the    foremost 

Indian.    His  gun  flashed  in  the  pan.     He 

then  retreated.    The  Indians  pursued  on 

horseback. 

In   his   retreat,   he   passed   through   a 

piece  of  land  where  a  storm  had  torn  up 

a  great  part  of  the  timber.     The   fallen 

trees  afforded  him  some  advantage  of  the 

3* 


30  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENT(  N. 

Indians  in  the  race,  as  they  were  on 
horseback  and  he  on  foot.  The  Indian 
force  divided;  some  rode  on  one  side  of 
the  fallen  timber,  and  some  on  the  other. 
Just  as  he  emera'ed  from  the  fallen 
timber,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  one  of 
the  Indians  met  him  on  horseback,  and 
boldly  rode  up  to  him,  jumped  of!'  his 
horse  and  rushed  at  him  with  his  toma- 
hawk. 

Kenton  concluding  a  gun-barrel  as 
good  a  weapon  of  defence  as  a  tomahawk, 
drew  back  his  gwn  to  strike  the  Indian 
before  him.  At  that  instant  another 
Indian,  who,  unperceived  by  Kenton,  liad 
slipped  up  behind  him,  clasped  him  in 
his  arms.  Being  now  overpowered  by 
numbers,  fui'ther  resistance  was  useless — 
he  surrendered.  While  the  Indians  were 
birtdino;  Kenton  with  tusrs,  Montfromerv 
came  in  view,  and  fired  at  the  Indians, 
but  missed  his  mark.  Montgomery  lied 
on  foot.  Some  of  the  Indians  pursued, 
shot  at,  and  missed  him ;  a  second  fire 
was  made,  and  Montgomery  fell.     The  In- 


SIMON    KKNTON    TTF.T)    TO    A    HORSE. 


(31) 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON.     33 

dians  soon  returned  to  Kenton,  shaking  at 
him  Montgomery's  bloody  scalp.  George 
Clark,  Kenton's  other  companion,  made 
his  escape,  crossed  the  Ohio,  and  arrived 
safe  at  Logan's  station. 

The  Indians  encamped  that  night  on 
the  bank  of  the  Ohio.  The  next  morning 
they  prepared  tlieir  horses  for  a  return  to 
their  towns,  with  the  unfortunate  and 
unhappy  prisoner.  Nothing  but  death  in 
the  most  appalling  form  presented  itself 
to  his  view.  When  they  were  ready  to 
set  off,  they  caught  the  wildest  horse  in 
the  company,  and  placed  Kenton  on  his 
back.  The  horse  being  very  restiff,  it 
took  several  of  them  to  hold  him,  while 
the  othei'S  laslied  the  prisoner  on  the 
horse.  They  first  took  a  tug,  or  rope, 
and  fastened  his  le2;s  and  feet  to2;ether 
under  the  horse.  They  took  another  and 
fastened  his  arms.  They  took  another 
and  tied  around  his  neck,  and  fastened 
one  end  of  it  around  the  horse's  neck;  the 
other  end  of  the  same  rope  was  fastened 
to  the  horse's  tail,  to  answer  in  place  of 


3i  ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON. 

a  crupper.  They  had  a  great  deal  of 
amusement  to  themselves,  as  they  were 
preparing  Kenton  and  his  horse  for  fun 
and  frolic.  They  would  yelp  and  scream 
around  him,  and  ask  him  if  he  wished  to 
steal  more  horses.  Another  ropo  was 
fastened  around  his  thighs,  and  lashed 
around  the  body  of  his  horse;  a  pair  of 
moccasins  was  drawn  over  his  hands,  to 
prevent  him  from  defending  his  face  from 
the  brush. 

Thus  accoutred  and  fastened,  the  horse 
was  turned  loose  to  the  woods.  He 
reared  and  plunged,  ran  through  the 
w^oods  for  some  tiuie,  to  the  infinite 
amusement  of  the  Indians.  Aftc^r  the 
horse  had  run  about,  plunging,  rearing, 
and  kicking  for  some  time,  and  found  that 
he  could  not  shake  off,  nor  kick  off  his 
rider,  he  very  quietly  submitted  himself 
to  his  situation,  and  followed  the  caval- 
cade as  quiet  and  peaceable  as  his  rider. 

The  Indians  moved  towaids  Cbillicothc, 
and  in  three  davs  reached  the  town.  At 
night  they  confined   their  ])ris()ner  in  the 


ADVExNTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON.  35 

following  manner:  He  was  laid  on  his 
back,  his  legs  extended,  drawn  apart,  and 
fastened  to  two  saplings  or  stakes  driven 
in  the  ground.  His  arms  w^ere  extended, 
a  pole  laid  across  his  breast,  and  his 
arms  lashed  to  the  pole  with  cords.  A 
rope  was  tied  around  his  neck,  and 
stretched  back  just  tight  enough  not  to 
choke  him,  and  fastened  to  a  tree  or 
stake  near  his  head.  In  this  painful  and 
uncomfortable  situation,  he  spent  three 
miserable  nights,  exposed  to  gnats,  and 
musketoes,  and  weather.  0,  poor  human 
nature,  what  miserable  wretches  we  are, 
thus  to  punish  and  harass  each  other! 
(The  frontier  whites  of  that  day,  were 
but  little  behind  tlie  Indians,  in  wiles,  in 
cruelty,    and   revenge.) 

When  the  Indians  came  within  about 
a  mile  of  the  Chillicothe  town,  they 
lialted  and  camped  for  the  night,  and 
fastened  the  poor  unfortunate  prisoner  in 
the  usual  uncomfortable  manner.  Tlie 
Indians,  young  and  old,  came  from  the 
town    to   welcome    the    return    of    their 


36  ADVEx\TURES    OF    SIMON    KExXTON. 

successful    warriors,    and    to    visit   thei? 
prisoner. 

The  Indian  part}^  young  and  old,  con 
sisting  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
commenced  dancing,  singing  and  yelling 
around  Kenton,  stopping  occasionally  and 
kicking  and  beating  him  for  amusement. 
In  this  manner  they  tormented  him  for 
about  three  hours  when  the  cavalcade 
returned  to  town,  and  he  was  left  for  the 
rest  of  the  night,  exhausted  and  forlorn, 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  gnats  and 
musketoes. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light  in  the  morning, 
the  Indians  began  to  collect  from  the 
town,  and  preparations  were  made  for 
fun  and  frolic  at  the  expense  of  Kenton, 
as  he  was  now  doomed  to  run  the  gaunt- 
let. The  Indians  were  formed  in  two 
lines,  about  six  feet  apart,  with  each  a 
hickory  in  his  hands,  and  Kenton  placed 
between  the  two  lines,  so  that  each 
Indian  could  beat  him  as  much  as  he 
thought  proper,  as  he  ran  through  the 
lines     Ho    had    not   ran    far    before    he 


417319 


ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON.  39 

discovered  an  Indian  with  his  knife 
drawn  to  plunge  it  into  him ;  as  soon  as 
Kenton  reached  that  part  of  the  line 
where  the  Indian  stood  who  had  the  knife 
drawn,  he  broke  through  the  lines,  and 
made  with  all  speed  for  the  town. 

Kenton  had  been  previously  informed 
by  a  negro  named  C^sar,  who  lived  with 
the  Indians  and  knew  their  customs,  that 
if  he  could  break  through  the  Indians' 
lines,  and  arrive  at  the  council-house  in 
the  to\Yn  before  he  was  overtaken,  that 
they  would  not  force  him  a  second  time  to 
run  the  gauntlet.  When  he  broke  through 
their  lines,  he  ran  at  the  top  of  his  speed 
for  the  council-house,  pursued  by  two  or 
three  hundred  Indians,  screaming  like 
infernal  furies. 

Just  as  he  had  entered  the  town,  he 
was  met  by  an  Indian  leisurely  walking 
towards  the  scene  of  amusement,  wrap- 
ped in  a  blanket.  The  Indian  threw  off 
his  blanket;  and  as  he  was  fresh,  and 
Kenton  nearly  exhausted,  the  Indian  soon 
caught  him  and   threw  him  down.     In  a 


10     ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON. 

moment  the  whole  party  who  were  in 
pursuit  came  up,  and  fell  to  cuffing  and 
kicking  him  at  a  most  fearful  rate.  They 
tore  off  his  clothes,  and  left  him  naked 
and  exhausted.  After  he  had  lain  till  he 
had  in  some  degree  recovered  from  his 
exhausted  state,  they  brought  him  some 
water  and  soniethiDg  to  eat. 

As  soon  as  his  strength  was  sufficiently 
recovered,  they  took  him  to  the  council- 
house,  to  determine  upon  his  fate.  Theii 
manner  of  deciding  his  fate  was  as 
follows :  Their  warriors  were  placed  in 
a  circle  in  the  council-house ;  an  old 
chief  was  i:)laced  in  the  centre  of  the 
circle,  with  a  knife  and  a  piece  of  wood 
in  his  hands.  A  number  of  speeches 
were  made.  Kenton,  although  he  did 
not  understand  their  language,  soon 
discovered  by  their  animated  gestures, 
and  fierce  looks  at  him,  that  a  majority 
of  their  speakers  were  contending  for  his 
destruction.  He  could  perceive  that  those 
who  pleaded  for  mercy,  were  received 
coolly;    but   few   grunts   of    approbation 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON.     41 

were  uttered  when  the  orators  closed  their 
speeches. 

After  the  orators  ceased  speaking,  the 
old  chief  who  sat  in  the  midst  of  the 
circle,  raised  up  and  handed  a  war-club  to 
the  man  who  sat  next  the  door.  They 
proceeded  to  take  the  decision  of  their 
court.  All  who  were  for  the  death  of  the 
prisoner,  struck  the  war-club  with  vio- 
lence against  the  ground;  those  who  voted 
to  save  the  prisoner's  life,  passed  the  club 
to  his  next  neighbt)r  without  striking  the 
ground.  Kenton,  from  their  expressive 
gestures,  could  easily  distinguish  the  ob- 
ject of  their  vote.  The  old  chief  who 
stood  to  witness  and  recorrl  the  number 
that  voted  for  death  or  mercv,  as  one 
struck  the  ground  witli  a  war-club  he 
made  a  mark  on  one  side  of  his  piece  of 
wood;  and  when  the  club  was  passed 
without  striking,  he  made  a  mark  on  the 
other.  Kenton  discovered  that  a  large 
majority  were  for  death. 

Sentence  of  death    being   now   passed 
upon  the  prisoner,  they  made  the  welkin 

4* 


J9 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON. 


INDIAN    COUNCIL. 


ring  with  slioiits  of  joy.  The  sentence  of 
death  being  passed,  there  was  another 
question  of  considerable  difficulty  x)re- 
sented  itself  to  the  consideration  of  the 
council;  that  was,  the  time  and  place, 
when  and  where,  he  should  be  burnt. 
The  orators  again  made  speeches  on  the 
subject,  less  animated  indeed  than  on  the 
trial;  but  some  appeared  to  be  quite 
vehement  for  instant  execution,  w^hile 
others  appeared  to  wish  to  make  his 
death  a  solemn  national  sacrifice. 

After  a  long  debate,  the  vote  was 
taken,  wdien  it  was  resolved  that  the  place 
of  his  execution  should  be  Wapatomika, 


INDIAN    \VAr;K10K. 


ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON.  45 

(now  Zanesfield,  Logan  county.)  Tlie 
next  morning  he  was  hurried  away  to  the 
place  destined  for  his  execution.  From 
Chillicothe  to  Wapatomika,  they  had  to 
pass  through  two  other  Indian  towns, 
to  wit:  Pickaway  and  Machecheek.  At 
both  towns  he  was  compelled  to  run  the 
gauntlet;  and  severely  was  he  whipped 
thron2:h  the  course.  While  he  lav  at 
Machecheek,  being  carelessly  guarded,  he 
made  an  attempt  to  escape.  Nothing 
worse  than  death  could  follow,  and  here 
he  made  a  bold  push  for  life  and  freedom. 
Being  unconfined,  he  broke  and  run,  and 
soon  cleared  himself  out  of  sight  of  his 
pursuers. 

While  he  distanced  his  pursuers,  and 
got  about  two  miles  from  the  town,  he 
accidentally  met  some  Indians  on  horse- 
back. They  instantly  pursued  and  soon 
came  up  with  him,  and  drove  him  back 
again  to  town.  He  now,  for  the  first 
time,  gave  up  his  case  as  hopeless. 
Nothing  but  death  stared  him  in  the  face. 
Fate,  it  appeared  to  him,  had  scaled  his 


46  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON. 

doom ;  and  in  sullen  despair,  he  deter- 
mined to  await  that  doom,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  shun. 

How  inscrutable  are  the  ways  of  Provi- 
dence, and  how  little  can  man  control 
his  destinv !  When  the  Indians  returned 
with  Kenton  to  the  town,  there  was  a 
general  rejoicing.  He  was  pinioned,  and 
given  over  to  the  young  Indians,  who 
dragged  him  into  the  creek,  tumbled  him 
in  the  water,  and  rolled  him  in  the  mud, 
till  he  was  nearly  suffocated  with  mud  and 
water.  In  this  way  they  amused  them- 
selves with  him  till  he  was  nearly  drowned. 

He  now  thought  himself  forsaken  by 
God.  Shortly  after  this,  his  tormentors 
moved  with  him  to  Wapatomika.  As 
soon  as  he  arrived  at  this  place,  the 
Indians,  young  and  old,  male  and  female, 
crowded  around  the  prisoner.  Among 
others  who  came  to  see  him,  was  the 
celebrated  and  notorious  Simon  Girty. 
Kenton  and  Girty  were  bosom  com- 
panions at  Fort  Pitt,  and  in  the  campaign 
with  Lord  Dun  more. 


ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON.  47 

As  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Indians  to 
blark  such  prisoners  as  were  intended 
to  be  put  to  death,  Girty  did  not 
immediately  recognize  Kenton  in  his 
black  disguise.  Girty  came  forward  and 
inquired  of  Kenton  where  he  had  lived. 
Was  answered  Ken  tuck  v.  He  next  in- 
quired  liow  many  men  there  were  in 
Kentucky.  He  answered,  he  did  not 
know ;  but  would  ^ive  him  the  names  and 
rank  of  the  officers,  and  he,  Girty,  could 
judge  of  the  probable  number  of  men. 

Kenton  then  named  a  great  many 
officers,  and  their  rank,  many  of  Avhom 
had  honorary  titles,  without  any  com- 
mand. 

At  length  Girty  asked  the  prisoner  his 
name.  When  he  was  answered,  Simon 
Butler.  ( He  had  changed  his  name  when 
he  Hed  from  his  parents  and  home.) 

Girty  eyed  him  for  a  moment,  and 
immediately  recognized  the  active  and 
bold  youth,  who  had  been  his  companion 
in  arms  about  Fort  Pitt,  and  in  the 
campaign    with    Lord    Dunmore.     Girty 


48     ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON. 

threw  himself  into  Kenton's  arms,  em- 
braced and  wept  aloud  over  him — calling 
him  his  dear  and  esteemed  friend.  This 
hardened  wretch,  who  had  been  the  cause 
of  the  death  of  hundreds,  had  some  of  the 
sparks  of  humanity  remaining  in  him, 
and  wept  like  a  child  at  the  tragical  fate 
which  hung  over  his  friend.  "Well,"  said 
he,  to  Kenton,  "you  are  condemned  to  die, 
but  I  will  use  every  means  in  my  power 
to  save  your  life." 

Girty  immediately  had  a  council  con- 
vened, and  made  a  long  speech  to  the 
Indians,  to  save  the  life  of  the  prisoner. 
As  Girty  was  proceeding  through  his 
speech,  he  became  very  animated  ;  and 
under  his  powerful  eloquence,  Kenton 
could  plainly  discover  the  grim  visages  of 
his  savage  judges  relent.  When  Girty 
concluded  his  powerful  and  animated 
speech,  the  Indians  rose  with  one  simul- 
taneous grunt  of  approbation,  saved  the 
prisoner's  life,  and  placed  him  under  the 
care  and  protection  of  his  old  companion, 
Girty. 


KEXTOy    AND    GIRTY. 


ADVENTURES   OF    SIMON    KENTON.  51 

The  British  had  a  trading  establish- 
ment then  at  Wapatomika.  Girty  took 
Kenton  with  him  to  the  store,  and  dressed 
him  from  head  to  foot,  as  well  as  he  could 
wish  :  he  was  also  provided  with  a  horse 
and  saddle.  Kenton  was  now  free,  and 
roamed  about  through  the  country,  from 
Indian  town  to  town,  in  company  with 
his  benefactor.  How  uncertain  is  the  fate 
of  nations  as  well  as  that  of  individuals ! 
How  sudden  the  changes  from  adversity 
to  prosperity,  and  from  prosperity  to 
adversity. 

Kenton  being  a  strong,  robust  man, 
with  an  iron  frame,  with  a  resolution  that 
never  winced  at  danger,  and  fortitude  to 
bear  pain  with  the  composure  of  a  stoic, 
he  soon  recovered  from  his  scourges  and 
bruises,  and  the  other  severe  treatment 
he  had  received.  It  is  thought  probable, 
that  if  the  Indians  had  continued  to  treat 
him  with  kindness  and  respect,  he  would 
eventually  have  become  one  of  them.  He 
had  but  few  inducements  to  return  acrain 
to  the  whites.     He  was  then  a  fugitive 


52  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON. 

from  justice,  Iiad  changed  his  name,  and 
he  thought  it  his  interest  to  keep  as  far 
from  his  former  acquaintances  as  possible. 
After  Kenton  and  his  benefactor  had 
been  roaming  about  for  some  time,  a 
war  party  of  Indians,  who  had  been  on 
an  expedition  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Wheeling,  returned ;  they  had  been  de- 
feated by  the  whites,  some  of  their  men 
were  killed,  and  others  wounded.  When 
this .  defeated  party  returned  they  were 
sullen,  chagrined,  and  fall  of  revenge, 
and  determined  to  kill  any  of  the  Avhites 
who  came  within  their  grasp. 

Kenton  was  the  only  white  man  upon 
whom  they  could  satiate  their  revenge. 
Kenton  and  Girty  were  then  at  Solomon's 
town,  a  small  distance  from  Wapatomika. 
A  messenger  Avas  immediately  sent  to 
Girty  to  return,  and  bring  Kenton  with 
him.  The  two  friends  met  the  mes- 
senger on  their  way.  The  messenger 
shook  hands  with  Girty,  but  refused  the 
hand  of  Kenton. 

Girtv,    after    talkincr    aside    with    the 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON.    55 

messenger  some  time,  said  to  Kenton, 
they  have  sent  for  us  to  attend  a  grand 
council  at  Wapatomika.  They  hurried  to 
the  town  ;  and  when  they  arrived  there 
the  council-house  was  crow^ded.  When 
Girty  went  into  the  house,  the  Indians  all 
rose  up  and  shook  hands  with  him  ;  but 
when  Kenton  offered  his  hand,  it  w^as 
refused  w^ith  a  scowl  of  contempt.  This 
alarmed  him ;  he  began  to  admit  the 
idea  that  this  sudden  convention  of  the 
council,  and  their  refusing  his  hand, 
boded  him  some  evil. 

After  the  members  of  the  council  were 
seated  in  their  usual  manner,  the  war 
chief  of  the  defeated  party,  rose  up  and 
made  a  most  vehement  speech,  frequently 
turning  his  fiery  and  revengeful  eyes  on 
Kent(m  during  his  speech.  Girty  was 
the  next  to  rise  and  address  the  council. 
He  told  them  that  he  had  lived  with 
them  several  years;  that  he  had  risked 
his  life  in  that  time  more  frequently  than 
any  of  them  ;  that  they  all  knew  that  he 
had  never  spared  the  life  of  one  of  the 


56     ADVENTUKES  OF  SIMON  KENTON. 

hated  Americans ;  that  they  well  knew 
that  he  had  never  asked  for  a  division  of 
the  spoils ;  that  he  fought  alone  for  the 
destruction  of  their  enemies  ;  and  he  now 
requested  them  to  spare  the  life  of  this 
young  man  on  liis  account.  The  young 
man,  he  said,  was  his  early  friend,  for 
whom  he  felt  the  tenderness  of  a  parent 
for  a  son,  and  he  lioped,  after  the  many 
evidences  that  he  had  given  of  Ids  attach- 
ment to  the  Indian  cause,  thev  would  not 
hesitate  to  grant  his  request.  If  they 
would  indulcre  him  in  crranting  his  re- 
quest  to  spare  the  life  of  this  young  man, 
he  would  pledge  himself  never  to  ask 
them  again  to  spare  the  life  of  a  hated 
American. 

Several  chiefs  spoke  in  succession  on 
this  important  subject ;  and  with  the 
most  apparent  deliberation,  the  council 
decided,  by  an  overwhelming  majority, 
for  death.  After  the  decision  of  this 
grand  court  was  announced,  Girty  went 
to  Kenton,  and  embracing  liim  very 
tenderly,  said  that  he  very  sincerely  sym- 


2 

O 

r 


Si 


—I 


I 


ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON.  59 

pathized  with  him  in  his  forlorn  and 
unfortunate  situation ;  that  he  had  used 
all  the  efforts  he  was  master  of  to  save 
his  life,  but  it  was  now  decreed  that  he 
must  die — that  he  could  do  no  more  for 
him.     Awful  doom ! 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  this  was 
in  1778,  in  the  midst  of  the  American 
revolution.  Upper  Sandusky  was  then 
the  place  where  the  British  paid  their 
western  Indian  allies  their  annuities ;  and 
as  time  might  effect  what  his  eloquence 
could  not,  Girty,  as  a  last  resort, 
persuaded  the  Indians  to  convey  their 
prisoner  to  Sandusky,  as  they  would  meet 
vast  numbers  to  receive  their  presents ; 
that  the  assembled  tribes  could  there 
witness  the  solemn  scene  of  the  death  of 
the  prisoner.  To  this  proposition  the 
council  agreed ;  and  the  prisoner  was 
placed  in  tlie  care  of  five  Indians,  who 
forthwith  set  off  for  Upper  Sandusky. 
What  windings,  and  twistings,  and  turn- 
ings, were  seen  in  the  fate  of  our  hero ! 

As    the    Indians    ])assed    from   Wapa- 


GO  ADVENTUKKS    OF    SIMON    KENTON. 

toiriika  to  Upper  Sandusk}",  they  Vvciit 
through  a  small  village  on  the  river 
Scioto,  Avhere  then  resided  the  celebrated 
chief,  Logan,  of  Jefferson  memory.  Logan, 
unlike  the  rest  of  his  tribe,  was  humans 
as  he  was  brave.  At  his  wigwam  the 
party  who  had  the  care  of  the  prisoner, 
staid  over  night.  During  the  evening, 
Logan  entered  into  conversation  with 
the  prisoner. 

The  next  mornine;  he  told  Kenton 
that  he  would  detain  the  party  that 
day — that  he  had  sent  two  of  his  young 
men  off  the  night  before  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, to  speak  a  good  word  for  him. 
Logan  was  great  and  good — the  friend 
of  all  men.  In  the  course  of  the  following 
evening  his  young  men  returned,  and 
early  the  next  morning  the  guard  set 
off  with  the  prisoner  for  Upper  Sandusky. 

When  Kenton's  party  set  off  from 
Logan's,  Logan  shook  hands  with  the 
prisoner,  but  gave  no  intimation  of  what 
might  probably  be  his  fate.  The  party 
went  on  with  Kenton  till  they  came  in 


ABVENTUEES    OF    SIMOX    KENTON. 


61 


'^  ^^ 


,N        ? 


-\'5f^^'v^. 


^^Kt^t 


LOGAN  TAKING  LEAVE  OF  KENTON. 

view  of  the  Upper  Sandusky  town.     The 

Indians,    young    and    old,    came    out    to 

meet    and    welcome    the    warriors,    and 

view    the    prisoner.     Here    he   was    not 

compelled  to  run  the  gauntlet.     A  grand 

council    was    immediately    convened     to 

determine    upon     the     fate    of    Kenton. 

This  was   the   fourth    council  Avhich  was 

held  to  dispose  of  the  life  of  the  prisoner. 

As     soon    as     this    grand     court    was 

I) 


62  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON. 

organized  and  ready  to  proceed  to  busi- 
ness, a  Canadian  Frenchman,  by  the 
name  of  Peter  Druyer,  who  was  a  captain 
in  the  British  service,  and  dressed  in  the 
gaudy  appendages  of  the  British  uniform, 
made  his  appearance  in  the  council. 
This  Druver  was  born  and  raised  in 
Detroit — he  was  connected  with  the  Brit- 
ish Indian  agent  dej^artment — was  their 
principal  interpreter  in  settling  Indian 
affairs;  this  made  him  a  man  of  great 
consequence  among  the  Indians.  It  was 
to  this  influential  man,  that  the  good 
chief  Logan,  the  friend  of  all  the  human 
family,  sent  his  young  men  to  intercede 
for  the  life  of  Kenton.  His  judgment 
and  address  were  only  equalled  by  his 
humanit}^  His  foresight  in  selecting  the 
agent  who  it  was  most  probable  could 
save  the  life  of  the  prisoner,  proves 
his  judgment  and  his  knowledge  of  the 
human  heart. 

As  soon  as  the  grand  council  was 
organized.  Captain  Druyer  re([uested  per- 
mission   to    address    the    council.     This 


ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON". 


63 


KENTOiX  S    PAKTY    GOING    TO    DETROIT, 

permission  was  instantly  granted.  He 
began  his  speech  by  stating,  "that  it  was 
well  known  that  it  was  the  wish  and 
interest  of  the  English  that  not  an 
American  should  be  left  alive.  That  the 
Americans  weie  the  cause  of  the  present 
bloody  and  distressing  war — that  neither 
peace  nor  safety  could  be  expected,  so 
long  as  these  intruders  were  permitted  to 
live  upon  the  earth."  This  part  of  his 
speech  received  repeated  grunts  of  aj[)pro- 


64     ADVENTURES  OF  SIMOX  KENTON. 

batioii.  He  then  explained  to  the  Indians, 
"that  the  war  to  be  carried  on  success- 
fully, required  cunning  as  well  as  bravery 
— that  the  intelliixence  which  nii2:ht  be 
extorted  from  a  prisoner,  would  be  of 
more  advantage,  in  conducting  the  future 
operations  of  the  war,  than  would  be  the 
lives  of  twenty  prisoners.  That  he  had 
no  doubt  but  the  commanding  officer  at 
Detroit  could  procure  information  from 
the  prisoner  now  before  them,  that  would 
be  of  incalculable  advantage  to  them  in 
the  progress  of  the  present  war.  Under 
these  circumstances,  he  hoped  they  would 
defer  the  death  of  the  prisoner  till  he  was 
taken  to  Detroit,  and  examined  by  the 
commanding  general.  After  which  he 
could  be  brought  back,  and  if  thought 
advisable,  upon  further  consideration,  he 
might  be  put  to  death  in  any  manner 
tliey  thought  pro|)er.''  He  next  noticed, 
*•  tliat  they  had  already  had  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  and  fatigue  with  the  prisoner 
with(mt  being  revenged  upon  him ;  but 
that  they  had  got  back  all  the  horses  the 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIMON  KENTON.     65 

prisoner  had  stolen  from  tliem,  and  killed 

one  of  his  comrades ;  and  to  insure  them 

something  for  their   fatigue   and  trouble, 

he    himself    would     give     one    hundred 

dollars  in  rum  and  tobacco,  or  any  other 

articles  they  would  choose,  if  they  would 

let  him  take   the  prisoner   to  Detroit,  to 

be  examined  by  the  British  general." 

The  Indians,  without  hesitation,  agreed 

to  Captain  Druyers's  proposition,  and  he 

paid    down    the    ransom.     As    soon    as 

these     arrangements     were      concluded, 

Druyer  and  a  principal  chief  set  off  with 

the  prisoner  for  Lower  Sandusky.     From 

this    place   they  proceeded    by  water   to 

Detroit,  where  they  arrived  in  a  few  days. 

Here   the   prisoner  was   handed   over   to 

the   commanding    officer,  and    lodged   in 

the  fort   as  a  prisoner  of  war.     He  was 

now  out  of  danger  from  the  Indians,  and 

was  treated  with  the  usual   attention  of 

prisoners   of  war   in   civilized   countries. 

The  British  commander  gave  the  Indians 

some    additional    remuneration    for    the 

life   of   the   prisoner,  and   they   returned 
6* 


6Q  ADVENTURES    OF    SIMON    KENTON. 

satisfied  to  join  tlieir  countrymen  at 
Wapatomika. 

As  soon  as  Kenton's  mind  was  out  of 
suspense,  his  robust  constitution  and 
iron  frame  in  a  few  days  recovered  from 
the  severe  treatment  they  had  undergone. 
Kenton  remained  at  Detroit  until  the 
June  following,  when  he,  with  other 
prisoners,  escaped,  and  after  enduring 
great  privations,  rejoined  their  friends. 

About  the  year  1802,  he  settled  in 
Urbana,  where  he  remained  some  years, 
and  was  elected  brigadier-general  of 
militia.  In  the  war  of  1812,  he  joined 
the  army  of  General  Harrison,  and  was 
at  the  battle  of  the  Moravian  town, 
where  he  displayed  his  usual  intrepidity. 
About  the  year  1820,  he  moved  to  the 
head  of  Mad  river.  A  few  years  after, 
through  the  exertions  of  Judge  Burnet 
and  General  Vance,  a  i)ension  of  twenty 
dollars  per  month  was  granted  to  him, 
which  secured  his  decliniufr  aire  from 
want.  He  died  in  1836,  at  which  time 
he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist 


ADVENTURES    OF    SLMOX    KENTON. 


67 


GKNEKAL    HARRISON. 


church  about  eighteen  years.  The  frosts 
of  more  than  eighty  winters  had  fallen 
on  his  head  without  entirely  whitening 
his  locks. 


Who  has  not  heard  of  Brady — captain 

of  the  spies  ? — Of  his  perilous  adventures 

by  field   and  flood  ? — Of  his  hair-breadth 

escapes  in  the  imminent  deadly  breach  ? 

— Of    his    chivalrous    courage? — Of    his 

unmatched  personal  activity? — Yet  where 

do  we  ever  read  his  history  ?     It  is  to  be 

learned    only  from    the  aged    settlers     of 

Western   Pennsylvania,  or    peradventure, 

from  a  time-worn  Eanger; — for  a  few  of 

Brady's  warriors  still  survive. 
(68) 


CAPTAIN  BKADY. 


(6<)) 


ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  BRADY.     71 

Actuated  by  a  desire  to  preserve  from 
oblivion,  such  portions  of  Ids  life  and 
actions  as  mav  vet  be  obtained,  I  have 
made  several  attempts  to  procure  from 
individuals  the  most  interesting  events  in 
his  military  career,  but  hitherto  without 
success.  At  length,  an  aged  friend  has 
kindlv  offered  to  furnish  such  details  as  an 
intimate  acquaintance  with  Capt.  Brady 
enables  him  to  give.  We  trust  that  the 
subject  will  be  deemed  of  such  interest, 
that  others  wdll  contribute  their  mite,  and 
that  an  historian  will  l)e  found  to  place 
Brady  of  the  Kangers  by  the  side  ot 
Wayne,  Marion,  Lee  of  the  Legion,  and 
other  distinguslied  patriots  whose  memo- 
ries are  immortal. 

He  is  emphatically  the  hero  of  Western 
Pennsylvania ;  and  future  bards  of  this 
region,  when  time  shall  have  mellowed 
the  facts  of  historv,  will  find  his  name  the 
personification  of  all  that  was  fearless 
and  fruitful  of  resource  in  the  hour  of 
danger.  His  the  step  that  faltered  not — ■ 
the  eye  that  quailed  not,  e\  en  in  the  terrific 


72         ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

scenes  of  Indian  warfare.  Many  a  mother 
has  (quieted  the  fears,  and  hilled  to  sleep 
lier  infant  family,  by  the  assurance  that 
the  broad  Allegheny, — the  dividing  line 
between  the  Indians  and  Whites, — was 
watched  by  the  gallant  Captain  and  his 
Eangers ;  and  to  their  apprehensions  of 
death  or  captivity  by  the  Indians,  has 
replied  encouragingly, — "  They  dare  not 
move  on  the  river,  for  there  lies  Brady  and 
the  Eangers." 

John  Brady,  the  father  of  Captain 
Samuel  Brady,  was  born  in  the  State  of 
Delaware,  A.  D.  1733.  Hugh  Brady,  the 
father  of  John,  had  emigrated  from  Ire- 
land. At  a  very  early  period  Hugh  Brady 
settled  within  live  miles  of  where  Ship- 
pensburg  now  stands.  The  country  was 
then  a  wilderness,  thinly  settled  by  Irish 
emigrants,  simple,  sincere,  and  religious. 
Many  anecdotes  are  collected,  evincive  of 
this,  but  they  would  be  out  of  place  here. 

During  the  French  and  Indian  wars, 
that  portion  of  the  country  was  much 
iiarassed  by  the  Indians.    John  Biady  and 


ADVENTURES   OF    CAPTAIN   BRADY.         73 

several  other  young  men  had  been  active 
against  them,  and,  as  a  mark  and  reward 
of  merit,  he  was  appointed  captain  in  the 
provincial  line,  which  at  that  time  was  no 
small  distinction.  He  married  Mary 
Qiiigly,  and  Samuel,  their  first  child,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Shippensburg,  A.  D. 

1758. 

After  the  war,  and  a  purchase  had  been 
made  from  the  Indians  in  1768,  John 
Brady  moved  with  his  family  to  the  West 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  where  Sam- 
uel resided  with  him  till  June,  1775.  Cap- 
tain John  Lowden,  a  widower,  raised  a 
company  of  volunteer  riflemen,  seventy  in 
number,  and  all  unmarried,  and  marched 
to  Boston.  Samuel  Brady  was  one  of  this 
band,  and  the  Captain  intended  that  he 
should  be  an  officer,  but  his  father  objected, 
saying,  "Let  him  first  learn  the  duty  of  a 
soldier,  and  then  he  will  know  how  to  act 
as  an  officer." 

While  the  riflemen  lay  in  the  "  Leaguer 
of  Boston,"  frequent  skirmishes  took  place. 
On  one  occasion  Lowden  was  ordered   to 

7 


74  ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN   BRADY. 

select  some  able-bodied  men,  and  wade  to 
an  island  when  the  tide  was  out,  and  drive 
out  some  cattle  belonging  to  the  British. 
He  considered  Brady  too  young  for  this 
service,  and  left  him  out  of  his  selection ; 
but  to  the  Captain's  astonishment,  Brady 
was  the  second  man  on  the  it>land  and 
behaved  most  gallantly.  On  another  occa- 
sion, he  was  sitting  on  a  fence,  with  his 
Captain,  viewing  the  British  works,  when 
a  cannon  ball  struck  the  fence  under  them. 
Brady  was  first  up,  caught  the  Captain  in 
his  arms  and  raised  him  saying  with  great 
composure,  "We  are  not  hurt,  captain." 
Many  like  instances  of  his  coolness  and 
courage  happened  while  the  army  lay  at 
Boston. 

In  1776,  Samuel  Brady  was  appointed  a 
first  lieutenant  in  Captain  Thomas  Doyle's 
company,  raised  in  Lancaster  county.  He 
continued  with  the  army,  and  was  in  all 
the  principal  engagements  until  after  the 
battle  of  Monmoutli,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  a  captaincy  and  ordered  to 
the  West  under  Gcnei'al  Broadhcad.     On 


'1 

•I 


k 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  77 

their  niarcli  he  had  leave  to  visit  his 
friends  in  Korthiimberland  county.  His 
father,  in  1776,  had  accepted  a  captaincy 
in  the  12th  Pennsylvania  Kegiment,  was 
badly  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Brandy- 
wine,  and  was  then  at  home.  Whilst 
there,  he  heard  of  his  brother's  death,  who 
had  been  murdered  by  the  Indians  on  the 
9th  day  of  August,  1778.  He  remained 
at  his  father's  until  the  beginning  of  1779, 
when  he  started  for  Pittsburg  and  joined 
his  res;iment. 

Shortly  after  he  arrived  at  Pittsburg,  he 
heard  the  news  of  his  father  being  mur- 
dered by  the  Indians,  on  the  11th  day  of 
April,  1779.  He  then  vowed  vengeance 
against  all  Indians,  and  he  never  altered 
his  mind.  Here  commenced  his  western 
exploits. 

At  the  battle  of  Princeton  he  was  under 
Col.  Hand  of  Lancaster,  and  had  advanced 
too  far;  they  were  nearly  surrounded — 
Brady  cut  a  horse  out  of  a  team,  got  his 
Colonel  on,  jumped  on  behind  him,  and 
made  their  escape. 

7* 


* 


78  ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

At  the  massacre  at  Paoli,  Brady  Irad 
been  on  guard,  and  had  laid  down  with 
his  blanket  buckled  around  him.  The 
British  were  nearly  on  thoui  IilIoic  the 
sentinel  fired.  Brady  had  to  run ;  he 
tried  to  get  clear  of  his  blanket  coat,  but 
could  not.  As  he  jumped  a  post  and  rail 
fence,  a  British  soldier  struck  at  him  with 
his  bay(jnet  and  })inned  the  blanket  to  the 
rail,  but  so  near  the  eda'e  that  it  tore  out. 
He  dashed  on — a  horseman  oyeri.ook  him 
and  ordered  him  to  stop.  Brady  wheeled, 
shot  him  down  and  ran  on.  He  got  into  a 
small  swamp  in  a  field.  He  knew  of  no 
person  but  one  being  in  it  beside  himself, 
but  in  the  morning  there  were  fifty-five, 
one  of  whom  was  a  Lieutenant.  They 
compared  comaiissions,  Brady's  was  the 
oldest ;  he  took  the  command  and  marched 
them  to  head-quarters. 

In  1780  a  small  fort  within  the  present 
limits  of  Pittsburg,  w^as  the  head-quarters 
of  Gen.  Broadhead,  who  was  charged  with 
the  defence  of  this  quarter  of  the  frontier. 
The  CLuitiy  north  and  west  of  the  AUe 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  81 

gheny  river  was  in  possession  of  the  In- 
dians. General  Wasliinirton,  wliose  com- 
prehensive  sagacity  foresaw  and  provided 
against  all  dangers  that  menaced  the 
country,  wrote  to  General  Broadhead  to 
select  a  suitable  officer  and  dispatch  him 
to  Sandusky,  for  the  purpose  of  examining 
the  place  and  ascertaining  the  force  of 
British  and  Indians  assembled  there,  with 
a  view  to  measures  of  preparation  and 
defence,  against  the  depredations  and 
attacks  to  be  expected  from  thence. 

Gen.  Broadhead  had  no  hesitation  in 
making  the  selection  of  an  officer  qualified 
for  this  difficult  and  dangerous  duty.  He 
sent  for  Captain  Brady,  shoAved  him 
Washington's  letter,  and  a  draft  or  map 
of  the  country  he  must  traverse;  veiy 
defective,  as  Brady  afterwards  discovered, 
but  the  best,  no  doubt,  that  could  be 
obtained  at  that  time. 

Captain  Brady  was  not  insensible  to  the 
danfrer  or  ignorant  of  the  difficultv  of  ihe 
enterprise.  But  he  saw  the  anxiety  of  the 
fatlier  of  his  country  to  procure  inform  a- 


82    ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  BRADY. 

tion  that  could  only  be  obtained  by  this 
perilous  mode,  and  knew  its  importance. 
His  own  danger  was  of  inferior  considera- 
tion.  The  appointment  was  accepted,  and 
selecting  a  few  soldiers,  and  four  Chicka- 
saw Indians  as  guides,  he  crossed  the 
AUepfhenv  river,  and  was  at  once  in  the 
enemy's  country. 

It  was  in  May,  1780,  that  he  com- 
menced his  march.  The  season  was 
uncommonly  wet.  Everv  considerable 
stream  was  swollen,  neither  road,  bridge, 
nor  house  facilitated  their  march,  or 
shielded  their  repose.  Part  of  their  pro- 
vision was  picked  up  by  the  way  as  they 
crept,  rather  than  marched  through  the 
wilderness  by  night,  and  lay  concealed  in 
its  branches  by  day.  The  slightest  trace 
of  his  movement,  the  print  of  a  white- 
man's  foot  on  the  sand  of  a  river,  niiglit 
have  occasioned  the  extermination  of  the 
party.  Brady  was  versed  in  all  the  wiles 
of  Indian  "stratagie,"  and  dressed  in  the 
full  war-dress  of  an  Indian  warrior,  and 
well  acquainted  with  their  languages,  he 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  83 

ted  his  band  in  safety  near  to  the  San- 
dusicy  towns,  without  seeing  a  hostile 
Indian. 

The  night  before  he  reached  Sandusky, 
lie  saw  a  fire,  approached  it,  and  found 
two  squaws  reposing  beside  it.  He 
passed  on  without  molesting  them.  But 
his  Chickasaws  now  deserted.  This  was 
alarming,  for  it  was  probable  they  had 
gone  over  to  the  enemy. — However,  he 
determined  to  proceed.  With  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  horrible  death  that 
awaited  him,  if  taken  prisoner,  he  passed 
on  until  he  stood  beside  the  town  and  on 
the  bank  of  the  river. 

His  Hi'st  care  was  to  provide  a  place  of 
concealment  for  his  men.  When  this  was 
effected,  having  selected  one  man  as  the 
companion  of  his  future  adventures,  he 
waded  the  river  to  an  island  partially 
covered  with  drift-wood,  oi)posite  the  town, 
where  he  concealed  himself  and  comrade 
for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  a  dense  fog  spread 
over  hill  and  dale,  town  and  river.     All 


84  ADVENTUUES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

was  hid  from  Eradj's  eyes,  save  the  logs 
and  brush  around  him.  About  11  o'clock 
it  cleared  off,  and  afforded  him  a  view 
of  about  tliree  thousand  Indians  engaged 
in  the  amusements  of  the  race  ground. 

They  had  just  returned  from  Virginia 
or  Kentucky  with  some  very  fine  horses. 
One  gray  horse  in  particular  attracted  his 
notice.  He  ^von  every  race  until  near 
evening,  when,  as  if  envious  of  his  speed, 
two  riders  were  placed  upon  him,  jtnd 
thus  was  he  beaten.  The  starting  i)ost 
was  only  a  few  rods  above  where  Brady 
lay,  and  he  had  a  pretty  fair  chance  of 
enjoying  the  amusement,  without  the  risk 
of  losing  anything  by  betting  on  the  race. 

He  made  such  observation  through 
the  day  as  was  in  his  power,  waded 
out  from  the  iwsland  at  night,  collected  his 
men,  went  to  the  Indian  camp  he  had 
seen  as  he  came  out ;  the  squaws  were 
still  there,  took  them  prisoners,  and  con- 
tinued his  march  homeward. 

The  map  furnished  by  Gen.  Broadhead 
was  found  to  be  very  defective.     The  dis- 


ADVENTDUES  OF    CAPTAIN    BHADY.  85 

tance  was  represented  to  be  much  less 
than  it  really  was.  The  provisions 
and  ammunition  of  the  men  were 
exhausted  by  the  time  they  had  reached 
the  Big  Beaver,  on  their  return.  Biady 
shot  an  otter  but  could  not  eat  it.  The 
last  load  was  in  his  rifle.  They  arrived 
at  an  old  encampment,  and  found  })lenty 
of  strawberries,  which  they  stopped  to 
appease  their  hunger  with.  Having  dis- 
covered a  deer  ti'ack,  Brady  followed  it, 
telling  the  men  he  would  jierhaps  get  a 
shot  at  it.  He  had  weut  but  a  few  rods 
when  he  saw  the  deer  standing  broadside 
to  him.  He  raised  his  i  itle  and  attempted 
to  tire,  but  it  flashed  in  tlie  pan,  and  he 
had  not  a  priming  of  powder.  He  sat 
down,  picked  the  touch  hole,  and  then 
started  on.  After  going  a  sliort  distance, 
the  patli  made  a  bend,  and  he  saw  before 
him  a  large  Indian  on  horseback,  witli  a 
child  before  and  its  mother  behind  him  on 
the  horse,  and  a  number  of  wai'iiors 
marching  in  the  rear.  His  first  impulse 
was  to    shoot    the    Indian  on   horseback, 


86  ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

but  as  lie  raised  the  rifle  he  observed  the 
child's  head  to  roll  with  the  motion  of  the 
horse.  It  was  fast  asleep  and  tied  to  the 
Indian.  He  stepped  behind  the  root  of  a 
tree  and  waited  until  he  could  shoot  the 
Indian,  without  danger  to  the  child  or  its 
mother. 

When  he  considered  the  chance  certain, 
he  shot  the  Indian,  who  fell  from  the 
horse,  and  the  child  and  its  mother  fell 
with  him.  Biady  called  to  his  men  with 
a  voice  that  made  the  forest  ring,  to  sur- 
round the  Indians  and  cive  them  a 
general  fire.  He  sprung  to  tlie  fallen 
Indian's  poAvder  horn,  but  could  not  pul! 
it  off.  Beins:  dressed  like  an  Indian,  the 
woman  thought  he  was  one,  and  said, 
"  Whv  did  vou  shoot  vour  brother?"  He 
caught  up  the  child,  saying,  "  Jenny 
Stupes,  I  am  Captain  Brady,  follow  me 
and  I  will  secure  you  and  your  child." 
He  caught  her  hand  in  his,  carrying  the 
child  under  the  other  arm,  and  dashed 
into  the  brush.  Many  guns  were  fired  at 
him    bv  this   time,  but   no   ball    harmed 


BRADY    IN    HIS    INDIAN    DRESS    CARRTINiJ    OFF    THE    CHILD. 


(87) 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  89 

him,  and  the  Indians  dreading  an  ambus- 
cade, were  glad  to  make  off.  The  next 
day  he  arrived  at  fort  M'Intosh  with  the 
woman  and  her  child.  His  men  had  got 
there  before  him.  They  had  heard  his 
war-whoop  and  knew  it  was  Indians  he 
had  encountered,  but  having  no  ammuni- 
tion, they  had  taken  to  their  heels  and 
ran  off.  The  squaws  he  had  taken  at 
Sandusky,  availing  themselves  of  the 
panic,  had  also  made  their  escape. 

In  those  days  Indian  fashions  prevailed 
in  some  measure  with  the  whites,  at  least 
with  Eangers.  Brady  was  desirous  of 
seeing  the  Indian  he  had  shot,  and  the 
officer  in  command  of  fort  M'Intosh,  gave 
him  some  men  in  addition  to  his  own,  and 
he  returned  to  search  for  the  body.  The 
place  where  he  had  fallen  was  discovered, 
but  nothing  more.  No  pains  were  spared 
to  search,  but  the  body  was  not  found. 
They  were  about  to  quit  the  place  when 
the  yell  of  a  pet  Indian  that  came  vrith 
them  from  the  fort,  called  them  to  a  little 

glade,  where   the   grave   was   discovered 

8* 


90  ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

The  Indians  had  interred  their  dead 
brother  there,  carefully  replacing  the  sod 
in  the  neatest  manner.  They  had  also 
cut  brushes  and  stuck  them  into  the 
ground;  but  the  brushes  had  withered, 
and  instead  of  concealing;  the  o:rave  thev 
led  to  the  discovery. 

He  was  buried  about  two  feet  deep ; 
with  nil  his  implements  of  war  about  him. 

"  He  lay  like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest, 

"With  his  powder-horu  and  pouch  about  him." 

All  his  savaoie  iewehw,  his  arms  and 
ammunition  were  taken  from  hiui  and 
the  scalp  from  the  head,  and  then  they 
left  him  thus  stripped  alone  in  his  grave. 
It  is  painful  to  think  of  such  things  being 
done  by  American  soldiers,  but  we  cannot 
now  know  all  the  excusing  circumstances 
that  may  have  existed  at  the  time.  Per- 
haps the  husband  of  this  woman,  the 
father  of  this  child,  was  thus  butchered 
before  his  wife  and  children;  and  the 
vounirer  members  of  the  familv  unable  to 
bear  tlie  fati2.'ues  of  travelling,  had  their 
brains    dashed    out     on    tlie     threshold. 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  91 

Such  things  were  common,  and  a  spirit  of 
revenge  was  deeply  seated  in  the  breasts 
of  the  people  of  the  frontiers.  Captain 
Brady's  own  family  had  heavily  felt  the 
merciless  tomahawk.  His  brave  and 
honored  father,  and  a  beloved  brother 
had  been  treacherously  slain  by  the 
Indians,  and  he  had  vowed  vengeance. 

After  refreshing  himself  and  men,  they 
went  up  to  Pittsburg  by  w^ater,  where 
thev  were  received  with  militarv  honor. 
Minute  suns  were  fired  from  the  time 
Brady  came  in  sight  until  he  landed. 

The  Chickasaw  Indians  had  returned 
to  Pittsburg  and  reported  that  the  captain 
and  his  party  had  been  cut  off  near  San- 
dusky town  by  the  Indians. 

A  few  davs  after  Bradv  left  Sanduskv 

V  tv  ^v 

with  his  squaw  prisoners,  keeping  a  sharp 
look  out  in  expectation  of  being  pursued, 
and  taking  every  precaution  to  avoid  pur- 
suit, such  as  keeping  on  the  driest  ridges 
and  walkini:-  on  ]o2;s  whenever  thev  suited 
liis  course,  he  found  he  was  followed  by 
Indians.     His    practised  eye  would  occa- 


92    ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  BRADY. 

sionally  discover  in  the  distance,  an 
Indian  hopping  to  or  from  a  tree,  or  other 
screen,  and  advancing  on  his  trail.  After 
being  satisfied  of  the  fact,  he  stated  it  to 
his  men  and  told  them  no  Indian  could 
thus  pursue  him,  after  the  precautions  he 
had  taken,  without  having  a  dog  on  his 
track.  "  I  will  stop,"  said  Brady  "  and 
shoot  the  dog  and  then  we  can  get  along 
better." 

He  selected  the  root  of  a  tall  chestnut 
tree  which  had  fallen  westward,  for  his 
})lace  of  ambush.  He  walked  from  the 
west  end  of  the  tree  or  log  to  the  east, 
and  sat  down  in  the  pit  made  by  the 
raising  of  the  root.  He  had  not  been  long 
there  when  a  small  shit  mounted  the  log 
at  the  west  end  and  with  her  nose  to 
the  trunk  approached  him.  Close  behind 
her  followed  a  plumed  warrior.  Brady 
had  his  choice.  He  preferred  shooting 
the  slut,  which  he  did,  she  rolled  off  the 
the  log  stone  dead,  and  the  warrior,  with  a 
loud  war-whoop,  sprung  into  the  woods  and 
disappeared.     He  was  followed  no  further, 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTxVIN    BRADY.  93 

Many  of  Captain  Brady's  adventures 
occurred  at  periods  of  which  no  certainty 
as  to  dates  can  now  be  had.  The  follow- 
ing is  of  that  class. 

His  success  as  a  partizan  had  acquired 
for  him  its  usual  results — approbation 
with  some,  and  envy  with  others.  Some 
of  his  brother  officers  censured  the  com- 
mandant for  affording  him  such  frequent 
opportunities  for  honorable  distinction. — 
At  length  an  open  complaint  was  made, 
accompanied  by  a  request,  in  the  nature 
of  a  demand,  that  others  should  be  per- 
mitted to  share  with  Brady  the  perils  and 
honors  of  the  service  abroad  from  the  fort. 
The  General  ai)prised  Brady  of  what  had 
passed,  who  readily  acquiesced  in  the 
proposed  arrangement ;  and  an  oppor- 
tunity was  not  long  wanting  for  testing 
its  efficiency. 

The  Indians  made  an  inroad  into  the 
Sewickly  settlement,  committing  the  most 
barbarous  murders  of  men,  women  and 
children  ;  stealing  such  property  as  was 
portable,    and   destroying    all   else. — The 


94 


ADVENTli'RES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 


ATTACK    ON    SEWICKLY    SETTLEMENT. 


alarm  was  broiic^lit  to  Fittsburs:,  and  a 
party  of  soldiers  under  the  command  of 
tlie  emulous  officers,  dispatched  for  the 
protection  of  the  settlements,  and  chas- 
tisement of  the  foe.  From  this  expedi- 
tion Brady  was,  of  course,  excluded  :  but 
the  restraint  was  irksome  to  liis  feelings. 

The  day  after  the  detachment  had 
marched,  he  solicited  permission  from  the 
comnmnder  to  take  a  small  party  for  the 
pnri)Ose  of  "catching;  the  Indians;"  but 
was   refused.      By    dint   of    importunity, 


ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  95 

however,  he  at  lengtli  wrung  from  him  a 
reluctant  consent,  and  tlie  command  of 
five  men ;  to  this  be  added  his  j^^t  Indian, 
and  made  hasty  preparation. 

Instead  of  moving  towards  Sewickly,  as 
the  iirst  detacliment  had  done,  he  crossed 
the  Allegheny  at  Pittsburg  and  proceeded 
up  the  river.  Conjecturing  that  the 
Indians  had  descended  that  stream  in 
canoes,  till  near  the  settlement,  he  was 
careful  to  examine  tlie  mouths  of  all 
creeks  comiug  into  it,  particuhirly  from 
the  south-east.  At  the  mouih  of  Big 
Mahoninc:,  about  six  miles  above  Kittan- 
ning,  the  canoes  were  seen  drawn  up  to 
its  western  bank. — He  instantly  retr^^ated 
down  the  river,  and  waited  for  night.  As 
soon  as  it  was  dark,  he  made  a  raft,  and 
crossed  to  tlie  Kittaiming  side.  He 
then  proceeded  up  the  creek,  and  found 
that  the  Indians  had,  in  the  meantime, 
crossed  the  creek,  as  their  canoes  were 
di'awn  to  its  upper  or  north-eastern  bank. 

The  country  on  both  sides  of  Mahoning, 
at  its  mouth,  is  rough  and  mountainous ; 


96  ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

and  the  stream,  which  was  then  high,  very 
rapid.  Several  ineffectual  attempts  were 
made  to  wade  it,  which  they  at  length 
succeeded  in  doing,  three  or  four  miles 
above  the  canoes.  Next  a  fire  was  made, 
their  clothing  dried,  and  arms  inspected ; 
and  the  party  moved  toward  the  Indian 
camp,  which  was  pitched  on  the  second 
bank  of  the  river.  Brady  placed  his  men 
at  some  distance,  on  the  lower  or  first  bank. 
The  Indians  had  brought  from  Sewickly 
a  stidlion,  which  they  had  fettered  and 
turned  to  pasture  on  the  lower  bank.  An 
Indian,  probably  the  owner,  under  the 
law  of  arms,  came  frequently  down  to  him 
and  occasioned  the  party  no  little  trouble. 
— The  horse,  too,  seemed  willing  to  keep 
their  company,  and  it  required  consider- 
able circumspection  to  avoid  all  intercourse 
with  either.  Brady  became  so  provoked 
that  he  had  a  strong  inclination  to  toma- 
hawk the  Indian,  but  his  calmer  judgment 
repudiated  the  act,  as  likely  to  put  to 
hazard  a  more  decisive  and  important 
achievement. 


ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  BRADY, 


97 


INDIAN    STEALING    THE    ETAXLION. 


At  lengtli  the  Indians  seemed  quiet, 
and  the  Captain  detevniined  to  pay  them 
a  closer  visit;  and,  if  in  doing  so,  he  met 
with  a  ludicrous  adventure,  gentle  reader, 
it  is  no  fault  of  mine. 

He  got  quite  near  their  fires ;    his  pet 

Indian  had  caught  him  by  the  hair  and 

gave  it  a  pluck,  intimating  the  advice  to 

retire,  which    he    would    not   venture   to 

whisper ;    hut  finding  Brady  disregardless 

of  it,  he  crawled  off;    when  the  Captain 

who    was    scannino:    their    numbers,    and 

9 


98  ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BKADY. 

the  position  of  their  guns,  observed  one 
throw  off  his  blanket  and  rise  to  his  feet. 
It  was  altogether  impracticable  for  Brady 
to  move,  without  his  being  seen.  He 
instantly  decided  to  remain  where  he 
was  and  risk  Avhat  might  happen.  He 
drew  his  head  slowly  beneath  the  brow 
of  the  bank,  putting  his  forehead  to  the 
earth  for  concealment.  His  next  sen- 
sation was  that  of  warm  water  poured 
into  the  hollow  of  his  neck,  as  from  the 
spout  of  a  tea-pot,  which,  trickling  down 
his  back  over  the  chilled  skin,  produced 
a  feeling  that  even  his  iron  nerves  could 
scarce  master.  He  felt  quietly  for  his 
tomahawk,  and  had  it  been  about  him, 
he  probably  would  have  used  it;  but  he 
divested  himself  even  of  that,  when  pre- 
paring to  approach  the  fires,  lest  by 
striking  against  the  stones  or  gravel,  it 
might  give  the  alarm.  He  was  compelled, 
therefore,  "nolens  volens,"  to  submit  to 
this  very  unpleasant  operation,  until  it 
should  please  his  warriorship  to  refrain ; 
which  he  soon  did,  and  returning  to  his 


ADVrATlTRES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY.  99 

place,  wrapped   himself  up    in   his  blan- 
ket, and  composed  himself  for  sleep  as  if . 
nothing  had  happened. 

Brady  returned  too,  and  posted  his  men, 
and  in  the  deepest  silence  all  awaited  tlie 
break  of  day.  When  it  appeared,  the 
Indians  arose  and  stood  around  their 
fires;  exulting,  doubtless,  in  the  scalps 
they  had  taken ;  the  plunder  they  had 
acquired ;  and  the  injury  they  had 
inHicted  on  their  enemies.  Precarious 
joy  ;  short-lived  triumph  ;  the  avenger  of 
blood  was  beside  them  !  At  a  signal 
given,  seven  rifles  cracked,  and  five 
Indians  were  dead  ere  they  fell.  Brady's 
well  known  war-cry  was  heard,  his  party 
was  among  them,  and  their  guns  (mostly 
eiiipty)  were  all  secured.  The  remaining 
Indians  instantly  tied  and  disappeared. 
One  was  pursued  by  the  trace  of  blood, 
which  he  seemed  to  have  succeeded  in 
staunching.  The^e^  Indian  then  imitated 
the  cry  of  a  young  wolf,  which  was 
answered,  by  the  wounded  nuin,  and  the 
pursuit  was   again   renewed.     A    second 


100        ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

time  the  wolf  cry  was  given  and  answered, 
and  the  pursuit  continued  into  a  windfall. 
Here  he  must  have  espied  his  pursuers, 
for  he  answered  no  more.  Brady  found 
his  remains  three  weeks  afterwards,  being 
led  to  the  place  by  ravens  that  were  prey- 
ino:  on  the  carcase. 

The  horse  was  unfettered,  the  plunder 
gathered,  and  the  party  commenced  their 
return  to  Pitt>burg,  mostof  them  descend- 
ing; in  the  Indian  canoes. 

Three  days  after  their  return,  the  first 
detachment  came  in.  They  repoited  that 
they  had  followed  the  Indians  closely,  but 
that  the  latter  had  got  into  their  canoes 
and  made  their  escape. 


Captain  Brady  bad  returned  from  San- 
dusky, perhaps  a  week,  when  he  was 
observed  one  evening  by  a  man  of  the 
name  of  Phouts,  sitting  in  a  solitary  part 
of  the  fort,  apparently  absorbed  in  thought 
— Phouts  approached  him  unregarded, 
and  was  pained  to  the  bottom  of  his 
lionest  heart  to  perceive  that  the  counten- 
ance of  his  honored  Captain  bore  traces  of 

9*  (101) 


102       ADVENTURES    OF    CAPTAIN    BRADY. 

deep  care,  and  even  melancholy.  Ho 
accosted  him,  him,  however,  in  the  best 
English  he  had,  and  soothingly  said. — 
"Gabtain,  was  ails  you?"  Brady  looked 
at  him  for  a  short  time  without  speaking ; 
then  resuming  his  usual  equanimity, 
replied,  "  I  have  been  thinking  about  the 
red-skins,  and  it  is  my  opinion  there  are 
some  above  us  on  the  river.  I  have  a 
mind  to  pay  them  a  visit. — Now  if  I  get 
permission  from  the  General  to  do  so,  will 
you  go  along?"  Phouts  was  a  stout  thick 
Dutchman  of  uncommon  strength  and 
activity.  He  was  also  well  acquainted 
with  the  woods.  When  Brady  had  ceased 
speaking,  Phouts  raised  himself  on  tiptoe, 
and  bringing  his  heels  hard  down  on  the 
ground,  by  way  of  emphasis,  his  eyes  full 
of  fire,  said,  "  By  dunder  and  lightnin',  I 
would  rader  go  mit  you,  Gabtain,  as  to 
any  of  te  finest  weddins  in  tis  gountry.'' — 
Brady  told  him  to  keep  quiet  and  say 
nothing  about  it,  as  no  man  in  the  fort 
must  know  anything  of  the  expedition 
except  Gen.  Broadhead — bidding   Phouts 


i^^c> 


PHOUTS. 


(103) 


EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PIIOUTS.     105 

call  at  his  tent  in  about  an  hour.  He 
went  to  the  General's  quarters  whom 
he  found  reading.  After  the  usual  topics 
were  discussed,  Brady  proposed  for  con- 
sideration, his  project  of  ascending  the 
Allegheny,  with  but  one  man  in  company ; 
stating  his  reasons  for  apprehending  a 
descent  from  that  quarter  by  the  Indians. 
The  General  gave  his  consent,  at  parting 
took  him  by  the  hand  in  a  friendly 
manner,  advising  him  how  to  proceed, 
and  charging  him  particularly  to  be  care- 
ful of  his  own  life,  and  that  of  the  men  or 
man  whom  he  might  select  to  accompany 
him ;  so  affectionate  were  the  General's 
admonitions,  and  so  great  the  emotion  he 
displayed,  that  Brady  left  him  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  and  repaited  to  his  tent,  where 
he  found  Phouts  in  deep  conversation  with 
one  of  his  7;^^  Indians. 

He  told  Phouts  of  his  success  wdth  the 
General,  and  that,  as  it  was  early  in  the 
light  of  the  moon,  they  must  get  ready 
and  be  off  betimes. 

They   immediately  set    about   cleaning 


106     EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PIIOUTS. 

Jheir  guns,  preparing  their  ammunition 
and  having  secured  a  small  quantity  of 
salt,  they  lay  down  together,  and  slept 
soundly  until  about  two  hours  before  dav- 
break.  Brady  awoke  first,  and  stirrino: 
Phouts,  each  took  down  the  "deadly rifle," 
and  w^hilst  all  but  the  sentinels  were 
wrapt  in  sleep,  they  left  the  little  fort,  and 
in  a  short  time  found  themselves  deep 
buried  in  the  forest.  That  day  they 
marched  through  woods  never  traversed 
by  either  of  them  before ;  following  the 
general  course  of  the  river  they  reached  a 
small  creek  that  put  in  from  the  Pitts- 
burg side;  it  was  near  night  when  they 
got  there,  and  having  no  provision,  they 
concluded  to  remain  there  all  night. 

Phouts  struck  fire,  and  after  having 
kindled  a  little,  they  covered  it  up  with 
leaves  and  brush,  to  keep  it  in.  They 
then  proceeded  up  the  creek  to  look  for 
game.  About  a  mile  from  the  mouth  of 
the  creek,  a  run  comes  into  it;  upon  this 
run  was  a  lick  apparently  much  fre- 
quented by  deer.     They  placed  themselves 


EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PIIOUTS.     107 

in  readiness,  and  in  a  short  time  two  deer 
came  in;  Phouts  shot  one,  which  they 
skinned  and  carried  over  to  their  fire,  and 
during  the  night  jh^ked  a  great  part  of  it. 
In  the  morning  they  took  what  they  coukl 
carry  of  jerked,  and  hung  the  remainder 
on  a  small  tree,  in  the  skin,  intending,  if 
they  were  si)ared  to  return,  to  call  for  it 
on  their  way  homeward. 

Kext  morning  they  started  early  and 
travelled  hard  all  day ;  near  evening  they 
espied  a  number  of  crows  hovering  over 
the  tops  of  the  trees  near  the  bank  of  the 
river.  Bradv  told  Phouts  that  there  were 
Indians  in  the  neighborhood,  or  else  the 
men  who  were  expected  from  Susque- 
hanna at  Pittsburg  where  they  encamped, 
or  had  been  some  time  before. 

Phouts  was  anxious  to  go  down  and 
see,  but  Brady  forbade  him  ;  telling  him 
at  the  same  time  "  We  must  secrete  our- 
selves till  after  night,  when  fires  will  be 
made  by  them,  be  they  whom  they  may." 
Accordingly  they  hid  themselves  amongst 
fallen  timber  and  remained  so  till  about 


108     EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PIIOUTS. 


SHOOTING  DEER. 


ten  o'clock  at  night.  But  even  then  they 
could  still  see  no  fire.  Brady  concluded 
there  must  be  a  hill  or  thick  woods 
between  him  and  wheie  the  crows  were 
seen,  and  decirled  on  leaving  his  hiding 
place  to  ascertain  the  fact;  Phouts  ac- 
companied him. — They  walked  with  the 
utmost  caution  down  towards  the  river 
bank,  and  had  gone  about  tw^o  hundred 
yards,  when  they  observed  the  t^vinkling 
of  a  fire,  at  some  distance  on  their  right. 
They  at  first  thought  the  river  made  a 
very    short     bend,    1)ut     on     proceeding 


EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PlIOUTS.     109 

further  they  discovered  that  it  was  a  fork 
or  branch  of  the  river,  probably  the 
Kiskeminetas.  Brady  desired  Phouts  to 
stay  where  he  was,  intending  to  go  him- 
self to  the  fire,  and  see  who  was  there; 
but  Phouts  refused,  saying,  "No,  by 
George,  I  vill  see  too."  They  approached 
the  fire  together,  but  with  the  utmost 
care;  and  from  aj^pearances  judged  it  to 
be  an  Indian  encampment,  much  too  large 
to  be  attacked  by  them. 

Having  resolved  to  ascertain  the  num- 
ber of  the  enemy,  the  Captain  of  the  Spies 
and  his  brave  comrade  went  close  u{)  to 
the  fire,  and  discovered  an  old  Indian 
sitting  beside  a  tree  near  the  fire,  either 
mending  or  making  a  pair  of  moccasins. 

Phouts,  who  never  thought  of  danger, 
was  for  shooting  the  Indian  immediately ; 
but  Brady  prevented  him.  After  examin- 
ing carefully  around  the  camp,  he  was  of 
opinion  that  the  number  by  which  it  was 
made  had  been  large,  but  that  they 
were  principally  absent. — He  determined 

on  knowing  more  in  the  morning;   and 

10 


110     EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PHOUTS. 

forcing  Phouts  away  with  him,  who  was 
bent  on  killing  tlie  old  Indian,  he  retired' 
a  short  distance  into  the  woods  to  await 
the  approach  of  day.  As  soon  as  it 
appeared  they  returned  to  the  camp 
again,  but  saw  no  living  thing,  except  the 
old  Indian,  a  dog  and  a  horse. 

Brady  wished  to  see  tlie  country  around 
the  camp,  and  understand  its  features 
better ;  for  this  purpose  he  kept  at  some 
distance  from  it,  and  examined  about,  till 
he  got  on  the  river  above  it.  Here  he 
found  a  lara;e  trail  of  Indians,  who  had 
gone  up  the  Allegheny :  to  his  judgment 
it  appeared  to  have  been  made  one  or  two 
days  before. — Upon  seeing  this  he  con- 
cluded on  going  back  to  the  camp,  and 
taking  the  old  Indian  prisoner. 

Supposing  the  old  savage  to  have  arms 
about  him,  and  not  wishing  to  run  the 
risk  of  the  alarm  the  report  of  a  rifle 
might  create,  if  Indians  were  in  the 
neighborhood,  Brady  determined  to  seize 
the  old  fellow  single-handed,  without 
doing   bim    further    ''scathe,"   and    carry 


EXCURSION    OF    BRADY    AND    PIIOUTS.     Ill 


INDIAN    CAMP. 


liim  off  to  Pittsburg.  "With  this  view 
both  C!'e2:)t  toward  the  camp  again  very 
cautiously.  When  they  came  so  near  as 
to  perceive  him,  the  Indian  was  lying  on 
his  back,  with  his  head  towards  them. 

Brady  ordered  Phouts  to  lemain  where 
he  was,  and  not  to  fire  at  all  unless  the 
dog  should  attempt  to  assist  his  master. 
In  that  case  he  w^as  to  shoot  the  dog, 
but  by  no  means  to  hurt  the  Indian. 
The  plan  being  arranged,  Brady  dr()])ped 
his  rifle,  and,  tomahawk  in  hand,  silently 
crept  towards  the  "  old  man  of  the  woods," 
tin  withiu  a  few  feet,  then  raisins:  liinisuif 


112    Exrynsiox  of  brady  asd  phouts. 

up,  he  made  a  spring  like  a  panther,  an(^ 
with  a  veil  that  awakened  the  echoes 
round,  seized  the  Indian,  hard  and  fast  bv 
(he  throat.  The  okl  man  struggled  a  little 
at  first,  but  Brady's  was  the  grip  of  a  lion; 
holdino;  his  tomahawk  over  the  head  of 
his  prisoner,  he  bade  him  surrender,  as 
he  valued  his  life. — The  dog  behaved 
very  civilly;  he  merely  growled  a  little. 
Phouts  came  up  and  they  tied  their 
prisoner.  On  examining  the  camp  they 
found  nothing  of  value  except  some 
powder  and  lead,  which  they  threw  into 
the  river.  When  the  Indian  learned  tliat 
he  was  to  be  taken  to  Pittsburg,  and 
wuuld  be  kindlv  treated,  he  shewed  then) 
a  canoe,  which  they  stepped  into  with 
their  juisoner  and  his  dog,  and  Avere 
soon  afloat  on  the  smooth  bosom  of  the 
Allegheny, 

They  paddled  swiftly  along  for  the 
purpose  of  reaching  the  moutli  of  the  I'un 
on  which  they  had  encamped  coming  up ; 
for  Brady  had  left  his  wiping-rod  there. 
It  was  late  when  they  got  to  the  creek's 


10* 


IHK   OLD    INDIAN. 


(113) 


EXCURSION  OF  BRADY  AND  PHOUTS   115 

mouth.  They  landed,  made  a  fire,  and 
all  laid  down  to  sleep. 

As  soon  as  day-light  appeared,  the 
captain  started  to  where  their  jerk  was 
honging,  leaving  Phouts  in  charge  of  the 
prisoner  and  his  canoe.  He  had  not  left 
the  camp  long,  till  the  Indian  complained 
to  Phouts  that  the  cords  upon  his  wrist 
hurt  him.  He  had  probably  discovered 
that  in  Phouts'  composition  tliere  was  a 
much  larger  proportion  of  kindness  than 
of  fear.  The  Dutch nmn  at  once  took  off 
the  cords,  and  the  Indian  was,  or 
pretended  to  be,  very  grateful. 

Phouts  was  busied  with  something 
else  in  a  minute,  and  had  left  his  gun 
standing  by  a  tree.  The  moment  the 
Indian  saw  that  the  eye  of  the  other  was 
not  upon  him,  lie  s])rang  to  the  tree, 
seized  the  gun,  and  the  first  Phouts  knew 
was  that  it  was  cocked,  and  at  his  breast, 
whereupon  he  let  out  a  most  magnificent 
roar  and  jumped  at  the  Indian.  But 
the  trigger  was  pulled,  and  the  bullet 
whistled  past  him,  taking  with  it  a  part 


116  EXCURSION  OF  BRADY  AND  PHOUTS. 

of  his  shot-pouch  belt.  One  stroke  of  the 
Dutchman's  tomahawk  settled  the  Indian 
forever,  and  nearly  severed  the  head  from 
his  body. 

Brady  heard  the  report  of  the  rifle,  and 
the  yell  of  Phouts ;  and  supposing  all  was 
not  right,  ran  instantly  to  the  spot,  where 
he  found  the  latter,  sitting  on  the  body 
of  the  Indian,  examining  the  rent  in 
his  shot-pouch  belt.  "In  the  name  of 
Heaven,"  said  Brady,  "what  have  you 
done!" — "Yust  look,   Gabtan,"   said  the 

fearless  Dutchman,  "vas  dis  d d  black 

b h  vas  apout;" — holding  up  to  view 

the  hole  in  his  belt.  He  then  related 
what  has  been  stated  with  respect  to  his 
untieing  the  Indian,  and  the  attempt  of 
the  latter  to  kill  him. — They  then  took 
off  the  scalp  of  the  Indian,  got  their  canoe, 
took  in  the  Indian's  dog,  and  returned  to 
Pittsburg,  the  fourth  day  after  their 
departure. 

The  Captain  related  to  the  General 
what  Ir  "had  seen,  and  gave  it  as  his 
opinion,  that  the  Indians,  wiiose  camp  he 


EXCURSIOi^  OF  BRADY  AND  PHOUTS.  117 

had  discovered,  were  about  making  an 
attack  upon  the  Susquehanna  settlement 
— The  General  was  of  the  same  opinion, 
and  was  much  affected  by  the  information; 
for  he  had  just  made  a  requisition  upon 
the  country  for  men,  and  had  been  ex- 
pecting them  on  every  day.  He  now 
feared  that  the  Indians  would  either  draw 
tliem  into  an  ambuscade  and  cut  them 
off,  or  fall  upon  their  families,  rendered 
defenceless  by  their  absence. 


Peter  Francisco,  a  soldier  of  the  Ecvo- 
lution,  and  celebrated  for  his  personal 
strength,  lived  and  raised  his  family  in 

Buckingham,  where  he  died  a  few  years 

(118) 


ADVENTURES    OF    PETER   FRANCISCO.      119 

since.  His  origin  was  obscure.  He  sup- 
posed that  he  was  a  Portuguese  by  biilh, 
and  that  he  was  kidnapped  when  an 
infant,  and  carried  to  IreLand.  He  had 
no  recollection  of  his  parents,  and  the 
first  knowledge  he  preserved  of  himself 
was  living  in  that  country  when  a  small 
boy.  Hearing  much  of  America,  and  being 
of  an  adventurous  turn,  he  indented  him- 
oclf  to  a  sea-captain  for  seven  years,  in 
payment  for  his  passage.  On  his  arrival 
he  Avas  sold  to  Anthony  Winston,  Escp,  of 
Buckingham  county,  on  whose  estate  he 
labored  faithfully  until  the  breaking  out  of 
the  revolution.  He  was  then  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  and  partaking  of  the  patriotic 
enthusiasm  of  the  times,  he  asked  and 
obtained  permission  of  his  owner  to  enlist 
in  the  continental  army.  At  the  storming 
of  Stony  Point,  he  was  the  first  soldier, 
after  Major  Gibbon,  who  entered  the 
fortress,  on  which  occasion  he  received  a 
bayonet  wound  in  tlie  thigh.  He  was  at 
Brandy  wine,  Monmouth,  and  other  battles 
at  the  north,  and  was  transferred  to  the 


120     ADVENTUHES    OF    PETER    FRANCISCO. 

south  under  Greene,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  actions  of  the  Cowjjens, 
Camden,  Guilford  Court  House,  &c.  He 
was  a  very  brave  man,  and  possessed 
such  confidence  in  his  prowess  as  to  be 
almost  fearless.  He  used  a  sword  having 
a  blade  five  feet  in  length,  which  he  could 
wield  as  a  feather,  and  every  swordsman 
who  came  in  contact  with  him,  paid  the 
forfeit  of  his  life.  His  services  were  so 
distinguished,  that  he  would  have  been 
promoted  to  an  office  had  he  been  enabled 
to  write.  His  stature  was  six  feet  and  an 
inch,  and  his  weight  two  lumdred  and 
sixty  pounds.  His  complexion  was  dark 
and  swarthy,  features  bold  and  manly, 
and  his  hands  and  feet  uncommonly 
large.  Such  was  his  personal  strength, 
that  he  could  easily  shoulder  a  cannon 
weighing  one  thousand  one  hundred 
pounds ;  and  our  informant,  a  highly 
respectable  gentleman  now  residing  in 
this  county,  in  a  communication  before 
us,  says:  "he  could  take  me  in  his  right 
hand  and   X)ass  over  the  room  with  me, 


ADVENTURES    OF    PETER    FRANCISCO.      121 

and  play  my  head  against  the  ceiling,  as 
though  I  had  been  a  doll-baby.  My 
weight  was  one  hundred  and  ninety  five 
pounds."  The  following  anecdote,  illus- 
trative of  Francisco's  valor,  has  often 
been  published: — 

"  While  the  British  army  were  spread- 
ing havoc  and  desolation  all  around  them, 
by  their  plunderings  and  burnings  in 
Virginia,  in  1781,  Francisco  had  been 
reconnoitring,  and  while  stopping  at  the 

house   of  a  Mr.  Y ,  then   in  Amelia 

(now  N'ottoway)  county,  nine  of  Tarleton's 
cavalry  came  up,  with  three  negroes,  and 
told  him  he  was  their  prisoner.  Seeing 
he  was  overpowered  by  numbers,  he  made 
no  resistance.  Believing  him  to  be  very 
peaceable,  they  all  went  into  the  house, 
leaving  him  and  the  paymaster  together. 
'Give  up  instantly,  all  that  you  possess 
of  value,'  said  the  latter,  'or  prepare  to 
die.'  *I  have  nothing  to  give  up,'  said 
Francisco,  'so  use  your  pleasure.'  'Deliver 
instantly,'    rejoined    the    soldier,    'those 

massy  silver  buckles  which  you  wear  in 

11  ^ 


122     ADVENTURES    OF    PETER   FRANCISCO. 

your  shoes.'     'They  v^'ere  a  present  from 
a  valued  friend,'  replied  Francisco,  'and 
it  would  grieve  me  to  part  with  them. 
Give  them  into  your  hands  I  never  will. 
You  have  the  power;  take  them,  if  you 
think    fit.'     The    soldier    put    his    sabre 
under  his  arm,   and  bent  down  to  take 
them.     Francisco,  finding  so  favorable  an 
opportunity  to  recover  his  liberty,  stepped 
one  pace  in  his  rear,  drew  the  sword  with 
force  from  under  his  arm,  and  instantly 
gave  him  a  blow  across  the  scull.     'My 
enemy,'  observed  Francisco,   'was  brave, 
and    though    severely   wounded,   drew   a 
pistol,  and,  in  the  same  moment  that  he 
pulled  the  trigger,  I  cut  his  hand  nearly 
off.     The   bullet   grazed    my   side.     Ben. 
Y (the  man  of  the  house)  very  un- 
generously  brought   out   a    musket,    and 
gave   it   to   one   of   the   British   soldiers, 
and  told  him  to  make  use  of  that.     He 
mounted   the  only  horse  they  could   get, 
and  presented  it  at  my  breast.     It  missed 
fire.     I  riislied  on  the  muzzle  of  the  gun. 
A  short  struggle  ensued.     1  disarmed  and 


ADVENTURES    OF    PETER    FRANCISCO.      125 

wounded  him.     Taiieton's  troop  of  fsar 

hundred    men   were   in    sight.     All   was 

hurry  and  confusion,  which  I  increased  by 

repeatedly  halloing,  as  loud  as  I  could, 

Come   on,    my   brave   boys ;    now's    your 

time ;    we  will  soon  dispatch  these  few, 

and   then   attack   the   main   bodv!     The 

wounded    man    flew   to    the  troop ,    the 

others   were   panic  struck,    and    lied.     I 

seized  Y ,  and  would  have  dispatched 

him,  but  the  poor  wretch  begged  for  his 

life;    he  was  not  only  an  object  of  my 

contempt,    but    pity.     The   eight    horses 

that   were   left   behind,    I    gave    him   to 

conceal  for  me.     Discovering  Tarleton  had 

dispatched  ten  more  in  pursuit  of  me,  I 

made  off.    I  evaded  their  vigilance.    They 

stopped  to  refresh  themselves.     I,  like  an 

old  fox,  doubled,  and  fell  on  their  rear.     I 

went   the    next    day   to   Y for    my 

horses  ;  he  demanded  two,  for  his  trouble 

and    generous    intentions.     Finding    my 

situation  dangerous,   and   surrounded   by 

enemies   where   I    ought   to   have   found 

friends,  I  went  off  ^vith  my  six  horses.     1 

11* 


126      ADVENTURES    OF    PETER    FRANCISCO. 

intended  to  have  avenged  myself  of  Y 

at  a  future  day,  but  Providence  ordained  I 
should  not  be  his  executioner,  for  he 
bi-oke  liis  neck  by  a  fall  from  one  of  those 
vvvj  horses.' " 

Several  other  anecdotes  are  related  of 
the  strength  and  bi'avery  of  Francisco. 
At  Gates'  defeat  at  Camden,  after  run- 
ning some  distance  along  a  road,  he  took 
to  the  woods  and  sat  down  to  rest;  a 
British  trooper  came  up  and  ordered  him 
to  surrender.  With  feigned  humility,  he 
replied  he  would,  and  added,  as  his 
musket  was  empty,  he  IvM  no  further  use 
fur  it.  He  then  carelessly  presented  it 
sideways,  and  thus  throwing  the  soldier 
off  his  guard,  he  suddenly  levelled  the 
piece,  and  driving  the  bayonet  through 
his  abdomen,  hurled  him  off  his  horse, 
mounted  it,  and  continued  his  retreat, 
boon  he  overtook  his  colonel,  William 
Mayo,  of  Powhatan,  who  was  on  foot. 
Francisco  generously  dismounted  and 
gave  up  the  animal  to  his  retreating 
officer,    for    which    act   of    kindness    the 


ADVENTURES    OF    PETER    FRANCISCO.      127 

colonel  subsequently  presented  him  with 
a  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Kentucky. 

Francisco  was  possessed  of  strong  natu- 
ral sense,  and  an  amiable  disposition. 
He  was,  withal,  a  companionable  man, 
and  ever  a  welcome  visitor  in  the  first 
families  in  this  region  of  the  state.  He 
was  industrious  and  temperate,  and  al- 
ways advocated  the  part  of  the  weak  and 
unprotected.  On  occasions  of  outbreaks, 
at  public  gatherings,  he  was  better,  in 
rushing  in  and  preserving  public  peace, 
than  all  the  conservative  authorities  on 
the  ground.  Late  in  life,  partly  through 
the  influence  of  his  friend,  Chas.  Yancey, 
Esq.,  he  was  appointed  sergeant-at-arms 
to  the  House  of  Delegates,  in  which 
service  he  died,  in  1836,  and  was  interred 
with  military  honors  in  the  public  bmy- 
ing-ground  at  Eichmond. 


joe  Jog^fo^. 

A  WRITER  in  the  American  Pioneer,  Mr. 

Felix  Kenick,  has  given  some  anecdotes 

of    "Big    Joe    Logston,"    who    lived    in 

Virginia,   in   the   latter  part  of  the   last 

century.       "No    Kentuckian,"    says    he, 

"could  ever,  with  greater  propriety  than 

he,  have   said,   'I   can  out-run,  out-hop, 

out-jump,    throw    down,    drag    out,    and 

whip  any  man  in  the  country.' "     Big  Joe 

removed  from  the  vicinity  of  the  source  of 

the    north    branch  of    the    Potomac,    to 

Kentucky,  about  the  year  1790,  during 

the  prevalence  of  the  Indian  wars.     Mr. 
(128) 


ADVENTURES    OF    JOE    LOGSTON.  129 

Eenick  gives  tlie  following  account  of  a 
desperate  fight  which  he  had  in  that 
country  with  two  Indians : 

Riding  along  a  path  which  led  into  a 
fort,  he  came  to  a  fine  vine  of  grapes. 
He  laid  his  gun  across  the  pommel  of  his 
saddle,  set  his  hat  on  it,  and  filled  it  with 
grapes.  He  turned  into  tlie  path,  and 
rode  carelessly  along,  eating  his  grapes; 
and  the  first  intimation  he  bad  of  danQ:er, 
was  the  crack  of  two  rifles,  one  from  each 
side  of  the  road.  One  of  the  balls  passed 
through  the  paps  of  his  breast  which 
for  a  male,  were  remarkably  i)rominent, 
almost  as  much  so  as  those  of  many 
nurses.  The  ball  just  gi-azed  the  skin 
between  the  pnps,  but  did  not  injure  the 
breast-bone.  The  other  ball  struck  his 
horse  behind  the  saddle,  and  he  sank 
in  his  tracks.  Thus  was  Joe  eased  off 
his  horse  in  a  manner  more  rare  than 
welcome.  Still  he  was  on  his  feet  in  an 
instant,  with  his  rifle  in  his  hands,  and 
might  have  taken  to  his  heels ;  and  I  will 
venture  the  opinion  that  no  Indian  could 


130         ADVENTURES   OF   JOE    LOGSTON. 

have  caught  him.  That,  he  said  was  not 
his  sort.  He  had  never  left  a  battle- 
ground without  leaving  his  mark,  and  he 
was  resolved  that  that  should  not  be  the 
first.  The  moment  the  guns  were  hred,  one 
very  athletic  Indian  sprang  towards  him 
with  tomahawk  in  hand.  His  eye  was 
on  him,  and  his  gun  to  his  eye,  ready,  as 
soon  as  he  approached  near  enough  to 
make  a  sure  shot,  to  let  him  have  it.  As 
soon  as  the  Indian  discovered  this,  he 
jumped  behind  two  pretty  large  saplings, 
some  small  distance  apart,  neither  of 
which  was  large  enough  to  cover  his 
body,  and,  to  save  himself  as  well  as  he 
could,  he  kept  springing  from  one  to  the 
other. 

Joe,  knowing  he  had  two  enemies 
on  the  ground,  kept  a  look-out  for  the 
other  by  a  quick  glance  of  the  eye  He 
presently  discovered  him  behind  a  ti-ee 
loading  his  gun.  The  tree  was  not  quite 
large  enough  to  hide  him.  AVhen  in  the 
act  of  pushing  down  his  bullet,  he  ex- 
posed pi'elty  faiily  his  hips.     Joe.  in  the 


JOS   LOGSTOX  8    COMBAT  WITH   TWO    INDIANS. 


(131) 


ADVENTURES  OF  JOE  LOGSTON.     133 

twinkling  of  an  eye,  wheeled,  and  let  him 
have  his  load  in  the  part  exposed.  The 
big  Indian  then,  with  a  mighty  "Ugh!" 
rnshed  towards  him  with  his  raised 
tomahawk.  Here  were  two  warriors  met, 
each  determined  to  conquer  or  die — each 
the  Goliath  of  his  nation.  The  Indian 
had  rather  the  advantage  in  size  of  frame, 
but  Joe  in  weight  and  muscular  strength. 
The  Indian  made  a  halt  at  the  distance 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  and  threw  his 
tomahawk  witli  all  his  force,  but  Joe  had 
his  eye  on  him  and  dodged  it.  It  flew 
quite  out  of  the  reach  of  either  of  them. 
Joe  then  (flubbed  his  gun  and  made  at 
the  Indian,  thinking  to  knock  him  down. 
The  Indian  sprang  into  some  brush  or 
sai)lings,  to  avoid  his  blows — he  depended 
entirely  on  dodging,  with  tlie  help  of  the 
saplings.  At  length  Joe,  thinking  he 
had  a  pretcy  fair  chance,  made  a  side 
blow  with  such  force,  that,  missing  the 
dodging  Indian,  the  gun,  now  reduced  to 
the  naked  barrel,  was  drawn  quite  out 
of    his    hand,    and    flew   entire Iv   out   of 

12 


134         ADVENTURES    OF   JOE    LOGSTON. 

reach.  The  Indian  now  gave  another 
exulting  "Ugh!"  and  sprang  at  him  with 
all  the  savage  fury  he  was  master  of. 
Neither  of  them  had  a  Aveapon  in  his 
hands,  and  the  Indian,  seeing  Logston 
bleeding  freely,  thought  he  could  throw 
him  down  and  dispatch  him.  In  this  he 
was  mistaken.  They  seized  each  other, 
and  a  desperate  scuffle  ensued,  Joe  could 
throw  him  down,  but  could  not  hold  him 
there.  The  Indian  being  naked,  w^ith  his 
hide  oiled,  had  greatly  the  advantage  in  a 
ground  scuffle,  and  would  still  slip  out  of 
Joe's  grasp  and  rise.  After  thiowing 
him  five  or  six  times,  Joe  found,  that 
between  loss  of  blood  and  violent  exer- 
tions, his  wind  was  leaving  him,  and  that 
he  must  change  the  mode  of  warfare  or 
lose  his  scalp,  which  he  was  not  yet 
willing  to  spare.  He  threw  the  Indian 
again,  and  without  attempting  to  hold 
him,  jumped  from  him,  and  as  he  rose, 
aimed  a  list  blow  at  his  head,  which 
caused  him  to  fall  back,  and,  as  he  w^ould 
rise,    Joe    gave    him    several    blows    in 


ADVENTURES    OF    JOE    LOGSTOX.  1  35 

succession,  the  Indian  rising  slower  each 
time.  He  at  last  succeeded  in  giving 
him  a  pretty  fair  blow  in  the  burr  of  the 
ear,  with  all  his  force,  and  he  fell,  as  Joe 
thought,  prett}^  near  dead.  Joe  jumped 
on  him,  and  thinking  he  could  dispatch 
him  by  choking,  grasped  his  neck  with 
his  left  hand,  keeping  his  right  one  free 
for  contingencies.  Joe  soon  found  the 
Indian  was  not  so  dead  as  he  thou2:ht, 
and  that  he  was  making  some  use  of  his 
right  arm,  which  lay  across  his  body,  and, 
on  casting  liis  eye  doNvn  discovered  the 
Indian  was  making  an  effort  to  unsheath  a 
knife  that  was  hanging  at  his  belt.  The 
knife  was  short,  and  so  sunk  in  the 
sheath  that  it  was  necessary  to  force  it 
up  by  pressing  against  the  point.  This 
the  Indian  was  trying  to  effect,  and  with 
good  success.  Joe  kept  his  eye  on  it,  and 
let  the  Indian  work  the  handle  out,  when 
he  suddenly  grabbed  it,  jerked  it  out  ol 
the  sheath,  and  sunk  it  up  to  the  handle 
into  the  Indian's  breast,  who  gave  a 
death  groan  and  expired. 


136  ADVENTURES    OF    JOE    LOGSTOX. 

Joe  now  thought  of  the  other  Indian, 
and  not  knowing  how  far  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  or  crippling  him,  sprang 
to  his  feet.  He  found  the  crippled  Indian 
had  crawled  some  distance  towards  them, 
and  had  propped  his  broken  back  against 
a  k)g,  and  was  trying  to  raise  his  gun  to 
shoot  him,  but  in  attempting  to  do  which 
he  would  fail  forward,  and  had  to  push 
against  his  gun  to  raise  himself  again. 
Joe,  seeing  that  he  was  safe,  concluded 
ho  had  fought  long  enough  for  healthy 
exercise  that  day,  and  not  liking  to  be 
killed  by  a  crippled  Indian,  he  made  for 
the  fort.  He  got  in  about  night-fall,  and 
a  hard-looking  case  he  was — blood  and 
dirt  from  the  crown  of  his  head  to  the  sole 
of  his  feet,  no  horse,  no  hat,  no  gun — with 
an  account  of  the  battle  that  some  of  his 
comrades  could  scaice  believe  to  be  much 
else  than  one  of  his  big  stories,  in  which 
he  would  sometimes  indulge.  He  told 
them  they  must  go  and  judge  for  them- 
selves. Next  morning  a  company  was 
made  up    to    go  to   Joe's    battle-ground. 


ADVENTURES    OF   JOE    LOOSTON.  137 

When  they  approached  it,  Joe's  accusers 
became  more  cont'.rmed,  as  there  was  no 
appearance  of  dead  Indians,  and  nothing 
Joe  had  talked  of  bnt  the  dead  horse. 
They,  however,  found  a  trail,  as  if 
something  had  been  dragged  away.  On 
pursuing  it  they  found  the  big  Indian, 
at  a  little  distance,  beside  a  log,  covered 
up  with  leaves.  Still  pursuing  the  trail, 
though  not  so  plain,  some  hundred  yards 
further,  they  found  the  broken-backed 
Indian,  lying  on  his  back,  with  his  own 
knife  sticking  up  to  the  hilt  in  his  body, 
just  below  the  breast-bone,  evidently  to 
show  that  he  had  killed  himself,  and  that 
he  had  not  come  to  his  end  bv  the  hand 
of  an  enemv.  Thev  had  a  lono:  search 
before  they  found  the  knife  with  which 
Joe  killed  the  bio-  Indian.  Thev  at  last 
found  it  forced  down  into  the  ground 
below  the  surface,  apparently  by  the 
weight  of  a  person's  heel.  This  had  been 
done  by  the  crippled  Indian.  The  great 
eilbrts  he  must  have  made,  alone,  in  that 
condition,  show,  among  thousands  of  other 


138  ADVENTURES    OF   JOE    LOGSTON. 

instances,   what   Indians   are  capable  of 
under  the  greatest  extremities. 

Some  years  after  the  above  took  place, 
peace  with  the  Indians  was  restored. 
That  frontier,  like  many  others,  became 
infested  with  a  gang  of  outlaws,  who 
commenced  stealing  horses  and  commit- 
ting various  depredations;  to  counteract 
which  a  company  of  regulators,  as  they 
were  called,  was  raised.  In  a  contest  be- 
tween these  and  the  depredators,  Big  Joe 
Logston  lost  his  life, — which  would  not 
be  highly  esteemed  in  civil  society, — but 
in  frontier  settlements,  which  he  always 
occupied,  where  savages  and  beasts  were 
to  be  contested  with  for  the  right  of  the 
soil,  the  use  of  such  a  man  is  very 
conspicuous.  Without  such,  the  country 
could  never  have  been  cleared  of  its 
natural  rudeness,  so  as  to  admit  of  the 
more  brilliant  and  ornamental  exei  ises 
of  arts,  sciences,  and  civilization. 


^e^^e  5fi|gl]3. 


Jesse  Hughs  was  one  of  the  bold  pio- 
neers   who    acted     a    conspicuous    part 

against  the  Indians.     lie  was  bred  from 

(139) 


140         ADVENTURES    OF    JESSE    HUGHES. 

infancy  in  the  liotbed  of  Indian  warfare, 
and  resided  in  Clarksburg.  He  was  a 
light-built,  spare  man,  and  remarkably 
active  on  foot,  and  from  his  constant 
practice  of  hunting,  became  one  of  the 
best  woodsmen  and  Indian  hunters  of  his 
day.  The  annexed  anecdotes  we  derive 
from  the  American  Pioneer : 

About  the  year  1790,  the  Indians  one 
night  came  secretly  upon  the  settlement 
at  Chxrksburg,  and  stole  some  horses. 
Next  morning  at  daylight  a  party  of 
about  twenty-five  men  started  in  pursuit, 
and  came  upon  the  Indian  trail,  and 
judged  from  appearances  there  Avere  only 
eight  or  ten  of  them.  The  captain  and  a 
majority,  in  a  hasty  council,  were  for 
pursuing  the  traiL  Hughs  opposed  it, 
and  advised  them  to  let  him  pilot  them 
by  a  near  way  to  the  Ohio,  and  inteicept 
the  Indians  in  their  retreat.  But  this 
they  would  not  listen  to.  He,  then 
showed  them  the  dansrer  of  followins;  theii' 
trail ;  and  that  in  that  case  they  would  be 
waylaid, — that  the  Indians  would  choose 


ADVKiNTURES    OF    JESSE    HUGHS.  141 

a  secure  position,  shoot  two  or  tlirce 
of  them,  and  escape.  The  commander, 
jealous  of  Hughs'  influence,  broke  up  the 
council,  by  exchiiming:  "All  the  men 
may  follow  me — let  the  cowards  go  home!" 
and  dashed  off  at  full  speed.  Hughs  felt 
the  insult,  but  followed  with  the  rest. 
The  result  proved  as  he  had  predicted. 
Two  Indians  in  ambush  on  the  top  of  a 
cliff,  fired  and  mortally  wounded  two  of 
the  party  in  the  ravine,  and  escaped. 
Now  convinced  of  their  eri'or,  they  put 
themselves  under  Hughs ;  but  on  arriving 
at  the  Ohio,  thev  saw  that  the  savao'e^^ 
had  crossed  it.  Hughs  then  got  some 
satisfaction  of  the  captain  for  his  insult 
to  him.  He  told  them  he  wanted  to  find 
wdio  the  cowards  were ;  that  if  any  would 
go  with  him,  or  even  one,  he  w^ould  cross 
the  river  in  the  pursuit.  They  all  refused. 
He  then  said  he  would  go  alone,  and  get 
a  scalp,  or  leave  his  own  with  them. 
Alone  he  crossed  the  river,  and  the 
next  morning  came  upon  their  camp. 
They  were  all  absent  hunting  except  one 


14:2  ADVENTUHES   OF   JESSE    HUGHS. 

Indian,  who  was  left  to  guard  the  camp. 
He,  unsuspecting  danger,  was  fiddling  on 
some  dry  bones,  and  singing,  to  pass  the 
time,  when  Hughs  crept  up  and  shot  him; 
and,  with  the  poor  fellow's  scalp,  returned 
to  his  home  some  seventy  miles  distant, 
through  the  wilderness. 

At  a  time  of  great  danger  from  the 
incursions  of  the  Indians  in  Virginia,  when 
the  citizens  of  the  neighborhood  were  in  a 
fort  at  Clarksburg,  Hughs  one  morning 
observed  a  lad  very  intently  fixing  his  gun. 
*'Jim,"  said  he,  "what  are  you  doing  that 
for?"  ''I  am  going  to  shoot  a  turkey  that 
I  hear  gobbling  on  the  hillside,"  said  Jim. 
"I  hear  no  turkey,"  said  Hughs.  "Listen," 
says  Jim;  "there,  didn't  you  hear  it? 
listen  again."  "Well,"  says  Hughs,  after 
hearing  it  repeated,  "I'll  go  and  kill  it." 
"No  you  won't,"  says  Jim,  "it  is  my 
turkey;  I  heard  it  first."  "Well,"  says 
Hughs,  "but  you  know  I  am  the  best 
marksman;  and  besides,  I  don't  want  the 
turkey,  you  may  have  it."  The  lad  then 
agreed  to  let  Hughs  ^o  and  kill  it  for  him. 


ADVENTUllES    OF    JESSE    HUGHS.         143 

Hughs  went  out  of  the  fort  on  the  side 
that  was  farthest  from  the  supposed 
turkey,  and  taking  along  the  river,  went 
up  a  ravine  and  came  in  on  the  rear;  and, 
as  he  expected,  he  espied  an  Indian 
sitting  on  a  chestnut  stump,  surrounded 
by  sprouts,  gobbling,  and  watching  to  see 
if  any  one  would  come  fro  hi  the  fort  to 
kill  the  turkey.  Hughs  crept  up  behind 
him,  and  shot  him,  before  the  Indian 
knew  of  his  approach.  He  took  off  the 
scalp  and  went  into  the  fort,  where  Jim 
was  waiting  for  his  prize.  "There,  now," 
says  Jim,  "you  have  let  the  turkey  go.  I 
would  have  killed  it,  if  I  had  gone." 
":N'o,"  says  Hughs,  "I  didn't  let  it  go;" 
and  taking  out  the  scalp,  threw  it  down. 
"There,  take  your  turkey,  Jim,  I  don't 
want  it."  The  lad  was  overcome,  and 
nearly  fainted,  to  think  of  the  certain 
death  he  had  escaped,  purely  by  the  keen 
perception  and  good  management  of  Mr. 
Hughs. 


We  presume  there  are  but  few,  if  any, 
among  our  readers  wlio  are  not  familiar 
with  the  exploit  of  Putnam,  in  riding  his 
horse  down  the  steep  declivity  at  Horse- 
neck,  in  the  endeavor  to  escape  from  the 
British  troops.  It  is  "famed  in  story;" 
has  been  illustrated  time  and  again  by 
the  pen  and  pencil ;  has  been  dramatized, 
and,  in- every  conceivable  form,  presented 
to  the  public  eye,  until  the  merest  school- 
boy is  as  familiar  with  the  incident 
as  with  his  alphabet.  Yet  it  is  by 
no  means  comparable  with  feats  of  a 
simihir  character,  pei'formed  by  men  of 
less  notoriety,  but  of  equal  strong  nerve 
and  desperate  courage,  which  have  not 
attracted  a  titlie  of  the  admiration  and 
eclat  which  have  been  vouchsafed  to 
Putnam^s  exploit. 

At  the  siege  of  Fort  Henry,  near 
Wheeling,   by  a  band  of  Indians,  under 

the  infamous  Simon  Girty,  Major  Samuel 

(144) 


ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'cULLOCH.     147 

McCiillocli  perlbi'ined  an  act  of  daring — • 
nay,  desperate  horsemanship — which  has 
seldom,  if  ever,  been  equaled  by  man  or 
beast,  and  before  which  the  effort  of  the 
Pomfret  hero  pales  into  insignificance. 
Let  us  turn  to  the  record. 

Fort  Henry,  situated  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  above  Wheeling  creek,  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  was  erected  to 
protect  the  settlers  of  the  little  village 
of  Wheeling,  which,  at  the  time  of  its 
investment,  consisted  of  about  twenty-five 
cabins.  In  the  month  of  September, 
1775,  it  was  invested  by  about  four 
hundred  warriors,  on  the  approach  of 
whom  the  settlers  had  fled  into  it,  leaving 
their  cabins  and  their  contents  to  the 
torch  of  the  savages.  The  whole  force 
comprising  the  garrison  consisted  of  forty- 
two  fightnrg  men  all  told :  but  there  were 
among  them  men  who  knew  the  nse 
of  the  rifle,  and  wdio  were  celebrated 
throughout  the  borders  as  the  implacable 
enemies  of  the  red  man,  and  as  the 
best  marksmen  in  the  world.     Of  tliese 


148    ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'cULLOCII. 

however,  more  than  one-half  perished 
in  an  ill-advised  sortie  before  the  siege 
commenced,  and  when  the  fort  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  foe,  but  sixteen  men 
remained  to  defend  it  against  their  over- 
whelming numbers. — But  their  mothers, 
wives  and  daughters  were  there,  and 
nerved  the  Spartan  band  to  deeds  of 
heroism  to  which  the  records  of  the  wars 
of  ancient  and  modern  history  present  no 
parallel.  Here  it  was  that  Elizabeth 
Z;ine  passed  through  the  fire  of  the  whole 
body  of  redskins  in  the  effort  to  bring  into 
the  fort  the  ammunition  so  necessary  to 
its  defence; — here  it  was,  also,  that  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  its  noble  defenders 
marched  to  a  spring  in  point  blank  range 
of  tlie  ambuscaded  Indians,  in  going  to 
and  fro,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  water 
for  the  garrison. 

Messengers  had  been  dispatched,  at 
the  earliest  alarm,  to  the  neighboring 
settlements  for  succor,  and,  in  response  to 
the  call.  Captain  Van  Swearingen,  with 
fourteen  men,  arrived  from  Cross  Greek, 


ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'cULLOCH.     149 

and  fought  his  way  into  the  fort  without 
the  loss  of  a  man.  Soon  afterwards, 
a  party  of  forty  horsemen,  led  by  the 
brave  and  intrepid  McCuUoch,  were  seen 
approaching,  and  endeavoring  to  force 
their  way  through  the  dense  masses  of 
Indians  which  nearly  surrounded  the 
station.  Their  friends  within  the  fort 
made  every  preparation  to  receive  them, 
by  opening  the  gates,  and  oiganizing  a 
sortie  to  cover  their  attempt.  After  a 
desperate  hand-to-band  confiict,  in  wliich 
they  made  several  of  tlie  Indians  bite  the 
dust,  they  broke  through  the  lines,  and 
entered  the  fort  in  triumph,  without  the 
loss  of  an  individual.  All,  except  their 
daring  leader,  succeeded  in  the  effort. 
He  was  cut  off,  and  forced  to  fly  in  an 
opposite  direction.  McCulloch  was  as 
well  known  to  the  Indians  as  to  the 
whites  for  his  deeds  of  ])rowess,  and  his 
name  was  associated  in  their  minds  with 
some  of  the  most  bloody  fights  in  which 
the  wdiite  and  red  men  had  contended. 
To  secure  him  alive,  therefore,  that  they 

13* 


150    ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR   m'cULLOCH. 

might  glut  their  vengeance  upon  him, 
was  the  earnest  desire  of  the  Indians,  and 
to  this  end  they  put  forth  the  most 
superhuman  exertions.  There  were  very 
few  among  their  number  who  had  not  lost 
a  relative  by  the  unerring  aim  and 
skill  of  the  fearless  woodsman,  and  thev 
cherished  towards  him  an  almost  frenzied 
hatred,  w^hich  could  only  be  satisfied  in 
his  tortures  at  the  stake. 

With  such  feelings  and  incentives,  they 
crowded  around  him  as  he  dashed  forward 
in  the  rear  of  his  men,  and  succeeded  in 
cutting  him  off  from  the  gate.  Finding 
himself  unable,  after  the  most  strenuous 
exertions,  to  accomplish  his  entrance,  and 
seeing:  the  uselessness  of  a  conflict  with 
such  a  force  opposed  to  him,  he  suddenly 
wheeled  his  horse  and  fled  in  the  direction 
of  Wheeling  Hill  at  his  utmost  speed. 
A  cloud  of  warriors  started  up  at  his 
approach,  and  cut  off  his  retreat  in  this 
direction,  driving  him  back  upon  another 
party  who  blocked  up  the  path  behind ; 
while  a  third  closed  in  upon  him  on  one 


/>>  mm '  ■ 


f-,-    <^-'  ■■/      ,.i:!    -,. 


/'i-'V  ■  i^ 


m'cui.i.och's  darixg  leap. 


(151) 


ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'CULLOCH.     153 

of  the   other   sides   of  the   square.     The 
fourth  and  open  side  was  in  the  direction 
of   the   brow   of    a   precipitous   ledge   of 
rocks,  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
in   height,   at   the   foot   of  which   flowed 
the   waters   of  Wheeling   Creek.     As   he 
momentarily   halted    and    took    a    rapid 
survey  of  the  dangers  which  surrounded 
him  on  all  sides,  he  felt  that  his  chance 
was  indeed  a  desperate  one.     The  Indians 
had  not  fired  a  shot,  and  he  well  knew 
what  this  portended,  as  they  could  easily 
have  killed  him  had  they  chosen  to  do  so. 
He  appreciated  the  feeling  of  hatred  felt 
towards  him  by  the  foe,   and  saw  at  a 
glance  the  intention  to  take  him  alive  if 
possible,  that  his  ashes  might  be  ofi"ered 
up  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  manes  of  their 
friends  slain  by  his  hand.     This  was  to 
die  a  thousand  deaths,  in  preference  to 
which  he  determined  to  run  the  risk  of 
being  dashed  in  pieces ;  and  he  struck  his 
heels    against  the    sides    of    his    steed, 
who   sprang   forward    toward    the   preci- 
pice.    The  encircling  warriors  had  rapidly 


154     ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'CULLOCH. 

lessened  the  space  between  them  and 
their  intended  victim,  and,  as  they  saw 
him  so  completely  within  their  toils, 
raised  a  yell  of  triumph,  little  dreaming 
of  the  fearful  energy  which  was  to 
baffle  their  expectations.  As  they  saw 
him  push  his  horse  in  the  direction  of  the 
precipice,  which  they  had  supposed  an 
unsurmountable  obstacle  to  his  escape, 
they  stood  in  wonder  and  amazement, 
scarcely  believing  that  it  could  be  his 
intention  to  attempt  the  awful  leap, 
which  was,  to  all  appearances,  certain 
death.  McCulloch  still  bore  his  rifle, 
which  he  had  retained,  in  his  right  hand, 
and  carefully  gathering  up  the  bridle 
in  his  left,  he  urged  his  noble  animal 
forward,  encouraging  hiui  b}"  his  voice, 
until  thev  reached  the  edfre  of  the  bank, 
when,  dashing  his  heels  against  his  sides, 
they  made  the  fearful  leap  into  the 
air.  Down,  down  they  went  with  fearful 
velocity,  without  resistance  or  impediment 
until  one-half  the  space  was  passed  over, 
w^hen  the  hoi'se's  feet  struck  the  smooth 


ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'cULLOCH.     155 

precipitous  face  of  the  rock,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  distance  was  slid  and 
scrambled  over  until  they  reached  the 
bottom  alive  and  uninjured.  With  a 
shout  which  proclaimed  his  triumphant 
success  to  his  foe  above  him,  McCuUoch 
pushed  his  steed  into  the  stream,  and  in  a 
few  moments  horse  and  rider  were  seen 
surmounting  the  banks  on  the  opposite 
side. 

No  pursuit  was  attempted,  nor  was  a 
shot  fired  at  the  intrepid  rider.  His 
enemies  stood  in  awe-struck  silence  upon 
the  brow  of  the  bank  from  whence  he  had 
leaped,  and,  as  he  disappeared  from  their 
view,  they  returned  to  the  investment  of 
the  fort.  They  did  not  long  continue 
their  unavailing  efforts,  however,  for  its 
capture ;  the  numerous  additions  it  had 
received  to  its  garrison  ;  the  fearlessness 
exhibited  in  its  defence,  together  with  the 
feat  they  had  witnessed,  disheartened 
them,  and  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat  on 
the  morning  after  the  event  I  have 
attempted  to  describe — not  however,  until 


156     ADVENTURES    OF    MAJOR    m'cULLOCII. 

they  had  reduced  to  ashes  the  cabins 
without  the  stockade,  and  slaughtered 
some  three  hundred  head  of  cattle  belong- 
ing to  the  settlers. 


GENERAL   CLARKE. 


14 


(157) 


6ei]et[[l  dcoi'Cjc  ?\o^er^  6h(i^l(e. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  the  West,  not 
one  is  more  conspicuous  for  his  public 
servicer  than  General  George  Kogers 
CI  ark  t.  The  following  specimens  of  his 
actions  form  but  a  small  portion  of  what 
he  did  for  the  West.  We  quote  now  from 
the  Early  History  of  Western  Pennsyl^ 
vania  and  of  the  West. 

(159) 


160   EXPEDITION  OF  GENERAL  CLARKE. 

One  of  the  most  extraordinary  expedi- 
tions, daring  the  war  of  the  revolution, 
was  that  of  Colonel  Rogers  Clarke,  in 
1778,  against  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes, 
then  in  possession  of  the  British.  These 
places  supplied  the  Indians  with  muni- 
tions war,  and  enabled  them  to  harass 
the  frontier  settlements  of  Virgina,  now 
the  State  of  Kentucky.  The  capture  of 
these  posts  was  deemed  so  important,  that 
the  Legislature  of  Virginia  voted  to  raise 
a  regiment  of  State  troops  for  the  purpose. 

The'  command  was  given  to  Colonel 
Clarke,  who  planned  the  expedition,  and 
possessed  great  courage,  uncommon  energy 
of  character  and  capacity  for  Indian  war- 
fare. He  was  a  man  of  extraordinary 
talents,  and  possessed  a  military  genius, 
which  enabled  him  to  plan  with  consum- 
mate wisdom,  and  to  execute  his  designs 
with  decision  and  promptitude. 

Having  visited  the  western  settlements 
the  preceding  year,  he  was  satisfied,  that 
in  order  to  cuib  tlie  Indians  efiectuall}^,  it 
was  necessary  to  strike  at  the  powerful, 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLAUKI-.       161 

tlioui>;li  distant  allies,  bv  whom  tliev  were 
encouraged  and  supported.  tlis  great 
mind  readily  comprehended  the  situation 
of  the  country;  he  made  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  topography  of  the 
whole  region,  as  far  as  it  was  then  known  ; 
with  the  localities  of  the  enemy's  posts, 
and  the  strength  of  their  forces. 

His  representations  induced  the  Legis- 
lature of  Virginia  to  enter  with  vigor  into 
his  plan,  and  such  was  the  confidence  he 
inspired  into  the  public  mind,  that  a  regi- 
ment consisting  of  nearly  three  hundred 
men,  were  raised  without  delay,  and  placed 
under  his  command.  He  was  duly  autlio- 
rized  to  act  against  the  British  posts 
on  the  Mississippi  and  the  Wabash  ;  yet 
the  object  of  the  expedition  was  kept  a 
profound  secret. 

With  this  force,  he  left  Virginia,  crossed 
the  mountains  to  the  Monongahela,  em- 
barked in  boats^  and  descended  to  the  Falls 
of  the  Ohio,  where  he  was  joined  by  some 
volunteers  from  Kentucky,  then  western 

Virginia.     At  this  place  he  left  thir!cen 

l-i* 


162   EXPEDITION  OF  GENERAL  CLARKE. 

fanjilies,    who    had    descended   the    Ohio 
with  him  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  x)er- 


i  '>«S- 


THE   MARCH   THROUGH   THE   WILDERNESS. 

manent  settlement  in  that  country.  No 
Buch  settlement  had  yet  been  made  at  the 
Falls,  where  Louisville  now  stands ;  and 
so  exposed  w^as  the  situation,  that  they 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE.       163 

built  their  lirst  houses  on  the  island  in 
the  river. 

Having  halted  a  few  days  to  refresh  his 
men,  he  proceeded  down  the  Ohio,  to  a 
[)oint  about  sixty  miles  a.bove  its  mouth, 
where  he  landed  and  hid  his  boats  to  pre- 
vent their  discovery  by  the  Indians.  He 
was  now  distant  from  Kaskaskia,  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  and  the  in- 
tervening country  must  have  been,  at  that 
period  when  in  a  state  of  nature,  almost 
impassable.  His  route  led  through  a  low, 
flat  region,  intersected  by  numerous 
streams  and  ponds  of  water,  and  entii'ely 
covered  with  a  most  luxuriant  vegetation, 
which  must  have  greatly  impeded  the 
nuirch  of  the  troops. 

Through  this  dreary  region,  the  intrepid 
leader  marched  on  foot,  at  the  head  of  his 
galhmt  band,  with  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder, 
and  his  provisions  upcm  his  back.  After 
wading  through  ponds,  which  could  not 
be  avoided,  crossing  creeks  by  such 
methods  as  could  hastily  be  adopted,  and 
sustaining  two  days  march  after  tlie  pro- 


164   EXPEDITION  OF  GENERAL  CLARKE. 

viisions  had  been  exhausted,  he  arrived  in 
the  night  before  the  town  of  Kaskaskia 
Having  halted  and  formed  his  regiment, 
he  consulted  liis  officers,  and  made  a  brief 
speech  to  his  men,  containing  only  tiie 
pithy  sentiment,  that  "  the  town  was  to 
be  taken  at  all  events,"  when  he  led  them 
direct  to  the  attack. 

The  town  contained  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  houses,  and  was  sufficiently  forti- 
fied to  have  resisted  a  much  more  formid- 
able army,  had  the  garrison  been  apprised 
of  its  approach.  But  the  distance  from 
any  known  foe,  having  excluded  all  appre- 
hension of  danger,  confidence  superceded 
all  precautions  against  surprise.  The 
approaches  of  Colonel  Clarke  had  been  so 
silent,  and  rapid,  that  the  assault  gave 
the  first  intelligence  of  his  arrival.  Not  a 
scattering  hunter  had  espied  his  march  ; 
not  a  roving  Indian  had  seen  his  trail ; 
the  watchman  was  sleeping  in  fancied 
security ;  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 
were  resting  from  their  labors,  and  the 
garrison  of  the  fort  was  not  alarmed,  until 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE.       165 

the  citadel  was  taken,  and  the  flag  of  stars 
and  stripes  was  proudly  waving  upon  its 
battlements. 

The  astonishment  and  moi'tification  of 
tlie  vanquished,  were  equal  to  their  negli- 
gence. Colonel  Clarke,  required  the  in- 
habitants to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  fort  at  Kaskas- 
kia,  became  his  head-quarters.  The  right 
of  property  was  not  molested,  and  no  pil- 
lage was  permitted  or  attempted ;  on  the 
contrary  the  humane  and  friendly  treat- 
ment of  the  people,  and  the  security 
afforded  to  their  persons  and  property 
effected  a  speedy  reconciliation  to  tlie 
new  order  of  tilings.  Tlie  utmost  care 
was  taken  that  none  should  escape  to 
spread  the  news,  while  detachments  were 
sent  out  that  captured  the  open  settle- 
ments and  villages  in  the  vicinity,  with- 
out the  least  resistance.  In  the  mean- 
time, a  portion  of  the  army  mounted  on 
the  horses  of  the  country,  left  Kaskaskia 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  by  surprise  the 
villages  higher  up  the  Mississippi.     Tliese 


166   EXPEDITION  OF  GENERAL  CLARKE. 

all  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  invaders  by 
an  unresisted  and  eas}^  conquest.  Thus 
fell  the  power  of  Great  Britain,  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi;  and  this  fertile 
and  extensive  valley,  which  will  one  day 
be  the  centre  of  population  of  this  great 
Eepublic  passed  from  under  her  authority 
forever. 

The  success  of  this  expedition  had  the 
happiest  etTect  upon  the  Indians.  Struck 
with  fear  and  astonishment  on  seeins;  a 
victorious  enemv  in  the  countrv,  without 
knowino'  vrhence,  or  how  thev  came,  thev 
fled  to  their  hiding  places  in  the  wilder- 
ness, or  to  their  distant  towns  for  safety  , 
or  else  repaired  to  Yincennes,  a  post  on 
the  Wabash,  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
British,  for  protection. 

This  bold  and  brilliant  military  achieve- 
ment of  Colonel  Clarke,  was  succeeded  bv 
one  still  bolder,  more  dithcult,  and  quite 
as  successful.  Kaskaskia  was  not  very 
strongly  fortified;  and  no  attack  in  so 
remote  a  spot  could  reasonably  be 
apprehended.      But    A'incennes,    situated 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE'.       167 

in  nearly  a  direct  line  between  Kaskaskia 
and  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  distant  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  the  former 
place  and  two  hundred  miles  from  the 
latter,  had  been  considered  within  the 
reach  of  an  attack  from  the  American 
settlements,  and  was  strongh  fortihed. 

It  was  well  garrisoned  with  British 
troops,  commanded  by  Governor  Hamil- 
ton, in  person,  an  ex])erienced  officer,  who 
was  quickly  apprized  of  the  capture  of 
the  forts  on  the  Mississippi,  in  his  rear, 
and  prepared  to  expect  an  attack  from 
Colonel  Clarke,  at  the  head  of  his  victor- 
ious troops.  His  regular  force,  was 
greatly  superior  to  that  of  the  American 
commander,  both  in  numbers  and  equip- 
ment and  in  addition  he  had  under  his 
command  six  hundred  Indian  warriors. 

With  this  force  Governor  Hamilton 
determined  to  retake  Kaskaskin,  and 
regain  the  posts  on  the  ^lississippi.  But 
Colonel  Clarke  sent  a  party  to  reconnoitre 
Governor  Hamilton's  i)ositiun,  and  make 
observations.      The    intelligence    received 


]Q6      EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARES. 


AN    INDIAN    CHIKP. 


from  the  detachment  on  its  return  deter- 
mined him  immediately  to  attempt  to 
take   Vincennes,    as   the   best    means   of 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE.       169 

defending  himself,  notwithstanding  its 
strength  and  the  force  stationed  for  its 
defence.  In  the  meantime,  he  took  mea- 
sures tc  strengthen  the  defences  of  Kas- 
kaskia,  and  resolved  to  maintain  the 
possession  at  all  hazards. 

While  he  was  digesting  the  plan  of  his 
future  operations,  he  received  undoubted 
mformation,  from  a  Spanish  merchant, 
who  had  recently  left  Yincennes,  that 
Governor  Hamilton,  reposing  on  the  secu- 
rity which  the  superiority  of  his  force 
afforded,  contemplated  leisurely,  the  exe- 
cution of  his  projects.  These  were,  in  the 
first  place,  to  retake  Kaskaskia ;  in  the 
next,  to  cut  off  the  inhabitants  residins; 
upon  the  Ohio,  up  to  fort  Pitt;  after 
which  he  intended  to  desolate  the  remain- 
ing frontiers  of  Yirgina. 

In  addition  to  these  projects,  arrange- 
ments were  made  to  destroy  the  frontier 
settlements  of  New  York  and  Peniisvl- 
vania,  by  a  combined  force  of  British 
troops,  and  Indians  of  the  northern  tribes. 

He  also  learned    from    the    same    source. 

16 


170       EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE. 

that  the  approach  of  winter,  had  induced 
a  postponement  of  the  campaign  till  the 
opening  of  the  next  spring — and  that  in 
the  meantime,  the  Governor,  to  keep  his 
Indian  auxiliaries  employed,  had  sent 
them  to  obstruct  the  passage  of  the  Ohio, 
and  to  harass  the  frontiers  of  Western 
Virginia,  while  the  regular  soldiers  Avere 
kept  in  garrison  under  his  immediate 
command. 

Colonel  Clarke,  at  once  perceived  that 
his  own  situation  was  most  critical.  He 
was  too  remote  from  the  Atlantic  border, 
to  receive  anv  assistance  from  thai 
quarter;  and  the  western  settlements 
were  invaded  by  the  savages.  He  knew 
that  his  force  was  too  weak,  to  maintain 
his  present  position  against  the  British 
army  under  Governor  Hamilton,  sup- 
ported by  the  whole  body  of  Indian 
warriors,  from  the  Lakes  to  the  Missis- 
sippi, by  whom  he  was  to  be  attacked  on 
the  return  of  spring. 

In  this  emergency  what  was  to  be  done? 
The  Indians  were  now  ravaging  the  Iron 


EXPKDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLAPxEE.       171 

tiers,  and  Governor  Hamilton  and  the 
British  troops  were  alone  at  Yincennes. 
He  instantly  determined  to  capture  Yin- 
cennes or  perish  in  the  attempt.  The 
resolve  had  been  made, — the  blow  was 
now  to  be  struck — and  although  the  winter 
had  now  set  in,  no  time  was  to  be  lost 
as  the  Indians  might  return,  and  the 
British  commander  might  awake  from  his 
dream  of  securitv. 

He  then  fitted  up  a  small  galley  which 
lay  in  the  Mississippi  for  defensive  pur- 
poses, and  put  on  board  a  large  quantity 
of  provisiiuis.  This  vessel  was  armed 
with  a  few  pieces  of  cannon,  manned  by  a 
company  of  soldiers,  and  the  captain 
ordered  to  [)roceed  down  the  river,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  and  then  to  ascend  it 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash.  Here  he 
was  directed  to  disregard  every  difficulty, 
and  force  his  vessel  up  that  c-tream,  and 
take  station  a  few  miles  below  Yincennes; 
and  then  to  permit  nothing  to  pass  him. 

Having  completed  his  ai'rangements 
and  disregarding  the  inclemency  of  winte-r 


172       EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE. 

he  commenced  his  march,  at  the  head  of 
only  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  to  sur- 
prise and  capture  Yincennes.  To  effect 
this,  it  was  necessary  to  pass  one  liundred 
and  sixty  miles  through  a  trackless  unin- 
habited country,  whose  fertile  soil  and 
light  spongy  loain,  saturated  with  water, 
afforded  no  firm  footing  to  the  steps  of  the 
soldiery  ;  and  to  cross  the  Kaskaskia,  the 
Little  Wabash,  the  Embarras,  and  the 
Great  Wabash  rivers,  besides  a  number 
of  their  tributaiies,  all  of  which  were 
swollen,  and  margined  by  wide  belts  of 
inundated  land.  But  the  undaunted 
leader  pressed  on, — without  wagons,  with- 
out tents, — with  only  such  provisions  and 
ammunition  as  could  be  carried  on  the 
backs  of  a  few  pack  horses,  and  the 
shoulders  of  the  men, — toiling  by  day 
through  mud  and  water,  and  sleeping  at 
night  upon  the  wet  ground. 

Upon  reaching  the  waters  of  the  Great 
Wabash,  our  adventurous  troops  beheld 
before  them  an  obstacle  wh-ch  must  have 
daunted  the  hearts  of  warriors,  less  leso- 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL   CLARKE.       173 

lutely  determined  tliaii  themselves,  upon 
the  successful  achievement  of  their  enter- 
prise. On  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river 
stood  the  British  fort,  on  a  high  shore, 
swept  by  the  foaming  current  of  a  great 
river.  On  the  western  side  was  a  tract  ot 
low  alluvial  land,  five  miles  in  width, 
entirely  inundated.  The  whole  expanse 
of  water  to  be  crossed,  was  nearly  six 
miles  in  width — first,  the  marshy  flats,  in 
whose  treacherous  quick-sands,  at  this 
day,  the  horse  has  been  seen  to  tsink  under 
his  rider,  and  become  instantlv  buried  in 
the  mire  ;  at  that  time  covered  with  water 
too  deep  in  some  places  to  be  forded,  and 
too  shallow  in  others  to  admit  of  naviga- 
tion by  boats,  and  impeded  throughout  by 
growing  timber,  floating  logs,  or  tangled 
brushwood, — and  then,  the  swift,  powerful 
current  of  the  river. 

Colonel  Clarke  was  laboriously  employed 
for  sixteen  days,  in  eflecting  the  maich 
from  Kaskaskia  to  Yincennes;  five  of 
which  were  spent  in  passing  the  wilderness 
of  water  just  described,  through  which  he 

15* 


174   EXPEDITION  OF  GENERAL  CLARKE. 

meandered  in  siicli  a  manner,  as  to  con- 
ceal his  forces  from  the  enemy,  by  avoid- 
ing the  prairie,  and  keeping  as  nuich  as 
possible  under  cover  of  the  timber— wad- 
ing, sometimes  breast-deep,  sometimes 
proceeding  upon  rafts  and  canoes,  and  at 
last,  crossino;  the  river  in  the  nis^ht,  and 
presenting  himself  suddenly  before  the 
town,  which  was  completely  surprised. 

Here  the  American  comander  performed 
a  manoeuvre,  which  shows  that  he  was 
prudent  as  well  as  daring  ;  that  while  he 
had  the  bravery  and  courage  to  attempt 
the  most  desperate  enterprises,  he  was 
fertile  in  expedients,  and  cautious  in 
availing  himself  of  any  incidental  advan- 
tage which  might  be  presented.  As  he 
approached  the  town,  over  the  wide  beau- 
tiful prairie  on  which  it  stands,  and  at 
the  moment  when  his  troops  were  dis- 
covered by  tlie  enemy,  he  found  himself 
near  a  small  circular  eminence,  which 
concealed  a  |)art  of  his  force  from  the 
observation  of  the  foe. 

Under  t]iis  cover  he   counter-marched 


i|l,jiff!!)^pM|;^||!||| 


'r-.><rt:'^,T^' 


EXPEDITION    OF    GExNERAL    CLARKE.       177 

his  coliinm  in   so  skilful  a  manner,  that 
the   leading   files,   which  had   been    seen 
from   the   town,  were   transferred,  undis- 
covered  to   the   rear,  and   made  to   pass 
again  and  again  in  sight  of  the  enemy, 
until   all   his    men   had    been   displayed 
several  times,  and  his  little  detachment  of 
jaded   troops   was    made   to   assume   the 
appearance    of    a    long    column,   greatly 
superior   in   number   to   its  actual  force. 
He  then  promptly  summoned  the  garrison 
to  surrender.     Governor  Hamilton  after  a 
brief  defence  struck  his  flag,  and  the  gal- 
lant Clacke   found   himself  master  of  an 
important   fortified   post,  whose  garrison, 
now  prisoners  of  war,  consisted  of  a  well 
appointed  body  of  British  soldiers,  twice 
as  numerous  as  his  own  followers. 

These  brilliant  exploits  had  an  import- 
ant bearing  upon  the  interests  of  the  West, 
both  direct  and  consequential.  They 
gave  for  the  moment  safety  and  repose  to 
the  harassed  inhabitants  of  the  border 
settlements,  and  struck  with  terror  the 
whole    savage    population    of    the    wide 


178   EXPEDITION  OF  GENERAL  CLARKE. 

region  througli  whicli  he  passed.  They 
deranged  an  extensive  plan  of  operation 
on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  the  design 
of  which  was  to  drive  every  wliite  in- 
habitant out  of  the  valley  of  the  Ohio,  and 
the  Mississippi,  and  destroy  their  dwel- 
lings, by  pouring  in  a  combined  Indian 
force  along  the  whole  line  of  the  frontier 
They  detached  many  tribes  from  the 
British  interest,  who  had  long  acted 
under  the  control  of  that  power. — They 
hastened,  if  they  did  not  contribute  to 
produce,  the  most  important  event  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  the  West, — the 
acquisition  of  Louisiana.  The  limits  of 
the  United  States  were  now  extended  to 
the  Mississippi,  never  more  to  be  circum- 
scribed; and  Yirginia,  claiming  the  con- 
quered country,  in  right  of  her  charter,  as 
well  as  of  the  conquest  by  her  own  arms, 
proceeded  at  once  to  incorporate  it  into  a 
new  county,  which  was  called  Illinois. 

One  of  the  direct  consequences  of  these 
achievements,  was  the  founding  of  Louis- 
ville, in   the   State   of    Kentucky.      The 


EXPEDITION    OF    GENERAL    CLARKE.       179 

families  which  had  been  left  by  Colonel 
Clarke  at  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio,  when  on 
his  way  to  Kaskaskia,  dared  not  remove 
fi'om  the  island  on  which  they  landed,  so 
long  as  Vincennes  was  occupied  by  British 
troops,  and  their  savage  allies.  The  con- 
(piest  of  this  place  was,  therefore,  to  them 
the  mandate  of  liberation  from  their  insu- 
hir  position,  and  an  invitation  to  remove 
to  the  Kentucky  shore.  Hence  the  origin 
of  the  settlement  on  the  site  of  Louisville. 
Colonel  Clarke  afterwards  established  his 
head- quarters  here. 


^*SSi*feJ'^B?5= 


Of     the     Whetzels     there     were    four 

brothers.       Their     names    were    Martin, 

Lewis,    Jacob,    and   John.      Their   father 

was  a  German,  and  was  one  of  the  tirst 

white  men  who  settled  near  AYlieeling,  in 

Yirginia.     Old   Mr.  Whe:.zel,  although  it 
(180) 


I    .Vi    rill})''.' 


THE    WHETZELS.  183 

vras  in  the  hottest  time  of  the  Indian  war, 
was  so  rash  as  to  build  a  cabin  some  dis- 
tance from  the  fort,  and  move  his  family 
into  it.  How  long  he  lived  there  before 
the  fatal  tragedy  occurred,  is  not  reuiem- 
bered.  One  day,  in  the  midst  of  summer, 
(Martin,  his  eldest  son,  being  out  hunting, 
and  John  having  been  sent  on  some 
errand  to  the  fort,)  a  nuuierous  party  of 
Indians  surrounded  the  house,  rushed  in, 
and  killed,  tomahawked  and  scalped  old 
Mr.  Whetzel,  his  wife,  and  all  his  small 
children.  Lewis  and  Jacob,  being  smart, 
active  boys  were  spared,  and  made 
prisoners.  When  the  pirates  gave  Caesar 
his  liberty  for  a  small  ransom,  they  little 
knew  the  value  of  their  prisoner.  Could 
the  Indians  have  had  a  prescience  of  the 
sad  havoc  these  two  youths  would  have 
made  on  their  race,  instead  of  carrying 
them  off  prisoners  they  would  have  carried 
their  scalps  to  their  towns.  It  is  happy  for 
us  that  God  has  veiled  from  us  the  future. 
The  following  account  of  the  escape  of 
the    AYhetzels    from    captivity,    is   takeo 


J  84  THE    WHETZELS 

from  "Doddridge's  IS^tes:"  "When 
about  thirteen  years  of  age,  Lewis  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  together 
with  his  brother  Jacob,  about  eleven 
years  old.  Before  he  was  taken  he 
received  a  slight  wound  in  the  breast  from 
a  bullet,  which  carried  off  a  small  piece  of 
the  bi-east-bone.  The  second  night  after 
they  were  taken,  the  Indians  encamped  at 
the  Big  Lick,  twenty  miles  from  the  river 
on  the  waters  of  McMahon's  Creek.  The 
boy  was  not  confined.  After  the  Indians 
had  fallen  asleep,  Lewis  whispered  to  his 
brother  Jacob  that  he  must  get  up  and  go 
back  home  with  him.  When  thev  had 
got  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
camp,  they  sat  down  on  a  log.  'Well,' 
said  Lewis,  'we  can't  go  home  bare- 
footed ;  I  will  go  back  and  get  a  pair  of 
moccasons  for  each  of  us ;'  and  accord- 
ingly did  so,  and  returned.  After  sitting 
a  little  hmger,  'Now,  said  he,  'I  will  go 
back  and  get  father  a  gun,  and  then  we 
will  start.'  This  was  effected.  They  had 
not  travelled  far   on  the  trail   by  whicb 


i..,^' 


^' 


fmmyi 


n:l^M^^ 


THE    WHETZELS.  187 

they  came  before  they  heard  the  Indians 
after  them.  It  was  a  moonlight  night. 
When  the  Indians  came  pretty  nigh  them 
they  stepped  aside  into  the  bushes,  and 
let  them  pass ;  then  fell  into  the  rear  and 
travelled  on.  On  the  return  of  tlie 
Indians  they  did  the  same. — They  were 
then  pursued  by  two  Indians  on  horse- 
back, whom  they  dodged  in  the  same  way. 
The  next  day  they  reached  Wheeling  in 
safety,  crossing  the  river  on  a  raft  of  their 
own  making.  By  this  time  LeA\'is  had 
become  almost  spent  from  his  wound." 

After  their  return  from  captivity,  and 
these  lads  began  to  grow  to  be  men,  (and 
the  boys  on  the  frontier,  at  a  very  early 
age,  at  least  as  soon  as  they  could  handle 
a  gun,  considered  themselves  men,)  the}' 
took  a  solemn  oath  that  they  would  never 
make  peace  nor  truce  with  the  Indians, 
whilst  they  had  strength  to  wield  a  toma- 
hawk, or  sight  to  draw  a  bead ;  and  they 
were  as  true  to  their  oaths  as  was  the 
illustrious  and  far-famed  hero  of  Carthage. 
"These    warriors    esteemed   the   dutv   o^ 


188  THE    WHETZELS. 

revenge  as  the  most  precious  and  sacred 
portion  of  their  inheritance."  The  blood 
of  their  murdered  and  mangled  parents, 
and  infant  brothers  and  sisters,  was 
always  present  to  their  minds,  and  strung 
their  sinews  to  activity,  and  whetted  their 
souls  to  the  highest  pitch  of  resolution  to 
bathe  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  their 
enemies. 

"The  following  narrative  goes  to  show 
how  much  may  be  effected,  by  the  skill, 
bravery,  and  physical  activity  of  a  single 
individual,  in  the  partizan  warfare  carried 
on  against  the  Indians,  on  the  western 
frontier.  Lewis  Whetzers  education,  like 
that  of  his  cotemporaries,  was  that  of  the 
hunter  and  warrior.  When  a  boy,  he 
adopted  the  practice  of  loading  and  firing 
his  rifle  as  he  ran.  This  was  a  means  of 
making  him  so  destructive  to  the  Indians 
afterwards. 

"  In  the  year  1783,  after  Crawford's 
defeat,  Lew^is  Whetzel  went  with  Thomas 
Mills,  who  had  been  in  the  campaign,  to 
get  a  horse  which  lie  had  left  near  the 


THE    WIIETZELS.  189 

place  where  St.  Clairsville  now  stands. 
At  the  Indian  Spring,  two  miles  above 
St.  Clairsville,  on  the  Wheeling  road,  they 
were  met  b}^  about  forty  Indians,  who 
were  in  pursuit  of  the  stragglers  from  the 
campaign. 

"  The  Indians  and  the  white  men  dis- 
covered each  other  about  the  same  time. 
Lewis  fired  first;  and  killed  an  Indian; 
the  fire  from  the  Indians  wounded  Mr 
Mills,  and  he  was  soon  overtaken  and 
killed.  Four  of  the  Indians  then  singled 
out,  dropped  their  guns,  and  pursued 
Whetzel.  Whetzel  loaded  his  rifle  as  he 
ran. 

"After  running  about  half  a  mile,  one 
of  the  Indians  having  got  within  eight  or 
ten  steps  of  him,  Whetzel  wheeled  round 
and  shot  him  down,  ran  on,  and  loaded  as 
before. — After  going  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  further,  a  second  Indian  came 
so  close  to  him,  that  when  he  turned  to 
fire,  the  Indian  cauglit  the  muzzle  of  his 
gun,  and  as  he  expressed  it,  he  and  the 
Indian  had  a  severe  wringing  for  it ;  he 


190  THE    WHETZELS. 

succeeded,  however,  in  bringing  the 
muzzle  to  the  Indian's  breast,  and  killed 
him  on  the  spot. 

"  By  this  time  he,  as  well  as  the  Indians, 
were  prett,y  well  tired ;  the  pursuit  was 
C(mtinued  by  the  two  remaining  Indians. 
Whetzel,  as  before,  loaded  his  gun,  and 
stopped  several  times  during  the  latter 
chase. — When  he  did  so  the  Indians  treed 
themselves. 

"  After  going  something  more  than  a 
mile,  Whetzel  took  the  advantage  of  a 
little  open  piece  of  ground,  over  which  the 
Indians  were  passing,  a  short  distance 
behind  him  to  make  a  sudden  stop  for 
the  purpose  of  shooting  the  foremost,  who 
got  behind  a  little  sapling,  which  was 
too  small  to  cover  his  body.  Whetzel 
shot,  and  broke  his  thigh ;  the  wound,  in 
the  issue,  proved  fatal. 

"The  last  man  of  the  Indians  then  gave 
a  little  yell,  and  said,  '  No  catch  dat  man 
— gun  always  loaded,'  and  gave  up  the 
chase ;  glad,  no  doubt,  to  get  off  with  his 
life.     This  was  a  frightful  and  well  man- 


THE    WHETZELS.  191 

aged  fight.  It  is  said  that  Lewis  Wlietzel, 
in  the  course  of  the  Indian  wars  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  (Wheeling,)  killed 
twenty-seven  Indians;  besides  a  number 
more  along  the  frontier  settlements  of 
Kentucky." 


IqHio   dijl]ei:el. 


In  the  year  1780,  an  expedition  was 
set  on  foot,  to  jDroceed  against  and  destroy 
the  Indian  towns  situated  on  the  Coshlioc- 
ton,  a  branch  of  the  Muskingum  river. 
The  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  troo^is 
was  AYlieeling.  The  command  uf  the 
expedition  was  conferred  on  Colonel  Broad- 
head,  a  soldier  of  some  distinction  in  those 
days.  Martin  Wlietzel  was  a  volunteer  in 
this  campaign.  The  officers  of  the  frontier 
armies  were  only  nominally  such  ;    Qvery 

soUlier  acted  as  seemed  right  in  hu   <^^ 
(192) 


THE    WHETZELS.  193 

judgment.  This  little  army,  of  four  hun- 
dred men  went  forward  rapidly,  in  order 
to  fall  upon  the  Indian  towns  by  surprise. 
They  were  secretly  and  actiyely  pushed 
forward,  till  they  surrounded  one  of  their 
towns  befoie  the  enemy  was  apprised  of 
their  danger.  "  Every  man,  woman  and 
child  were  made  prisoners,  without  the 
firino;  of  a  2:un." 

"  Among  the  prisoners  were  sixteen 
warriors.  A  little  after  dark  a  council 
of  war  was  held,  to  determine  on  the  fate 
of  the  wai'riors  in  custody.  They  were 
doomed  to  death,  and  by  the  order  of  the 
commander  were  bound,  taken  a  little  dis- 
tance below  the  town,  and  dispatched 
with  tomahawks  and  spears,  and  then 
scalped."  In  this  work  of  death,  ]\Iartin 
Whetzel,  with  a  kind  of  fiendish  pleasure, 
sunk  his  tomahawk  into  the  heads  uf  the 
unresisting  Indians. 

"Earlv  the  next  mornino:,  an  Indian 
presented  himself  on  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  river  and  asked  for  the  '  Biji;  Cap- 
tain.'    Colonel  Broadhead  presented  him- 

17 


194  THE    WIIETZELS. 

self,  and  asked  the  Indian  what  he 
wanted  ?  To  which  he  replied,  *  I  want 
peace.'  '  Send  over  some  of  your  chiefs,' 
said  Broadhead.  '  May  be  you  kill,'  said 
the  Indian.  He  was  answered,  'They 
shall  not  be  killed.'  One  of  the  chiefs,  a 
well-looking  man,  came  over  the  river, 
and  entered  into  conversation  with  the 
commander  in  the  street ;  but  while 
engaged  in  conversation,  Martin  Whetzel 
came  up  behind  him  with  a  tomahawk 
concealed  in  the  bosom  of  his  hunting- 
shirt,  and  struck  him  on  tlie  back  of  the 
head.  The  poor  Indian  fell,  and  imme- 
diately expired."  This  act  of  perndy  and 
reckless  revenge,  the  commander  had  no 
power,  if  he  had  the  disposition,  to  punish," 
as  probably  two-thirds  of  the  army  ap- 
proved the  vindictive  deed. 

"  The  next  day  the  army  commenced 
its  retreat  from  Coshocton.  Colonel 
Broadhead  committed  the  prisoners  to  the 
militia.  They  were  about  twenty  in  num- 
ber.— After  they  had  marched  about  half 
a  mile,  the  men  commenced  killing  them." 


INDIAN    PRISONER. 


[19ni 


THE    WHETZET.S.  197 

Martin  Whetzel's  tomahawk  upon  this 
occasion  was  crimsoned  with  the  blood 
and  brains  of  the  unresisting  Indians. 
Such  was  the  indomitable  s[drit  of 
revenge  for  the  murder  of  his  parents  and 
infant  brothers  and  sisters,  that  no  phice 
nor  circumstance  was  sacred  enough  to 
preserve  the  life  of  an  Indian,  when 
within  his  vindictive  grasp.  "  In  a  short 
time  they  were  all  dispatched,  except  a 
few  women  and  children,  who  wei"e  spared 
and  taken  to  Fort  Pitt,  and  after  some 
time  exchanged  for  an  equal  number 
of  their  prisoners." 

Some  years  after  the  foregoing  action 
took  place,  Martin  Whetzel  was  surprised 
and  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  and 
remained  with  them  a  considerable  length 
of  time ;  till,  by  his  cheerful  disposition, 
and  apparent  satisfaction  with  their  mode 
and  manner  of  life,  he  disarmed  their  sus- 
picion, acquired  their  confidence,  and  was 
adopted  into  one  of  their  families.  How 
much     his     duplicity    overreached      the 

credulity  of  those  sons  of  the  forest,  the 

17* 


198  THE    WHETZELS. 

sequel  will  show.  He  was  free,  he  liunted 
around  the  town,  returned,  danced,  and 
frolicked  with  the  young  Indians,  and 
appeared  perfectly  satisfied  with  his 
change  of  life. 

But  all  this  time,  although  he  showed 
a  cheerful  face,  his  heart  was  brooding  on 
an  escape,  which  he  wished  to  render 
memorable  by  some  tragic  act  of  revenge 
upon  his  confiding  enemies.  In  the  fall 
of  the  year,  Martin  and  tliree  Indians  set 
ofi"  to  make  a  fall  hunt.  They  pitched 
their  camp  near  the  head  of  Sandusky 
river.  When  the  hunt  commenced,  he 
was  verv  careful  to  return  first  in  the 
evening  to  the  camp,  prepare  wood  for  the 
night,  and  do  all  other  little  ofiices  of 
camp  duty  to  render  them  comfortable. 
By  this  means  he  lulled  any  lurking 
suspicion  which  they  might  entertain 
towards  him. 

While  hunting  one  evening,  some  dis- 
tance from  the  camp,  he  came  across 
one  of  his  Indian  camp- mates.  The 
Indian    not    L)(3ing    aware    that    revenge 


THE    WHETZELS. 


199 


was  rampant  in  "Whetzel's  heart,  was  not 
the  least  alarmed  at  the  approach  of  his 
friend,  the  white  man.     Martin   watched 


INDIAN   WARRIOR. 


for  a  favorable  moment,  and  as  the 
Indian's  attention  was  called  in  a  different 
direction,  he  shot  him  down,  scalped  him. 


200  THE    WHETZELS. 

and  threw  his  body  into  a  deep  hole, 
which  had  been  made  by  a  hirge  tree 
torn  np  by  the  roots,  and  covered  his  body 
with  h)gs  and  brush,  over  which  he 
Btrewed  leaves  to  conceal  the  body.  He 
then  hurried  to  the  camp  to  prepare,  as 
usnal,  wood  for  the  night. 

When  niglit  came,  one  of  the  Indians 
was  missing,  and  Martin  expressed  great 
concern  on  account  of  the  absence  of  their 
comrade.  The  other  Indians  did  not 
appear  to  be  the  least  concerned  at  the 
absence  of  their  companion;  they  all 
alleged  that  he  might  have  taken  a  large 
circle,  looking  for  new  hunting  ground,  or 
that  he  might  have  pursued  some  wounded 
game  till  it  was  too  late  to  return  to  camp. 

In  this  mood  tlie  subject,  was  dismissed 
for  the  night;  they  ate  their  supper,  and 
lay  down  to  sleep.  Martin's  mind  was  so 
full  of  the  thoughts  of  home,  and  of  taking 
signal  vengeance  on  his  enemies,  that  he 
could  not  sleep;  he  had  gone  too  far  to 
retreat,  and  whatever  he  did  mnst  bo  done 
quickly. 


THE    WHETZELS.  201 

Beins:  now  determined  to  eflfect  his 
escape  at  all  hazards,  the  question  lie 
had  to  decide  was,  whether  he  should 
make  an  attack  on  the  two  sleeping  In- 
dians, or  watch  for  a  favoral)le  opportu- 
nity of  dispatching  them  one  at  a  time. 
The  latter  plan  appeared  to  him  to  be  less 
subject  to  risk  or  failure. 

The  next  morning  he  prepared  to  put 
his  determination  into  execution. — When 
the  two  Indians  set  out  on  their  hunt  the 
next  morning,  he  determined  to  follow  one 
of  them  (like  a  true  hunting  dog  on  a  slow 
trail,)  till  a  fair  opportunity  should  pre- 
sent itself  of  dispatching  him  without 
alarming  his  fellow.  He  cautiously  pur- 
sued him  till  near  evening,  when  he 
openly  walked  up  to  him  and  commenced 
a   conversation   about    their   day's   hunt. 

The  Indian  beiiig  completely  off  his 
guard,  suspecting  no  danger,  Martin 
watched  for  a  favorable  moment  when  the 
Indian's  attention  was  drawn  to  a  difler- 
ent  direction,  and  with  one  sweep  of  his 
venfreful  tomahawk  laid  him  dead  on  the 


202  THE    WHETZELS. 

ground,  scalped  him,  tumbled  liis  body  into 
a  sink-hole,  and  covered  it  with  brush  and 
logs;  and  then  made  his  way  for  the 
camp,  with  a  firm  determination  of  closing 
the  bloody  tragedy  by  killing  the  third 
Indian.  He  went  out,  and  composedly 
waited  at  the  camp  for  the  return  of  the 
Indian. 

About  sunset  he  saw  him  coming  with 
a  load  of  game  that  he  had  killed  swung 
on  his  back.  Martin  went  forward  under 
the  pretence  of  aiding  to  disencumber  him 
of  his  h)ad.  When  the  Indian  stooped 
down  to  be  detached  of  his  load,  Martin 
with  one  fell  swoop  of  his  tomahawk,  laid 
him  in  death's  eternal  sleep.  Being  now 
in  no  danger  of  ])ursuit,  he  leisurely 
packed  up  what  plunder  he  could  con- 
veniently carry  with  him,  and  made  his 
way  foi'  the  white  settlements,  where  he 
safely  arrived  with  the  three  Indian 
scalps,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  a  year. 

The  frontier  men  of  that  day  could  not 
anticipate  any  end  to  the  Indian  war,  till 
one  of  the  parties  should  be  exterminated. 


THE    WIIETZELS.  203 

Martin  Wlietzel's  conduct  upon  this,  as 
well  as  on  every  similar  occasion,  met  with 
the  decided  approbation  of  his  country- 
men. Successful  military  achievements, 
which  displayed  unusual  boldness  and 
intrepidity  in  the  execution,  not  only  met 
the  approbation  of  the  men,  but  also,  what 
was  more  grateful  and  soul-cheering  to  the 
soldier's  feelings  after  returning  from  a 
successful  Indian  tour,  he  was  sure  of 
receiving  the  animating  smiles  of  the  fair 
sex.  The  soldier's  arm  was  considered 
the  life-guard  of  the  country,  and  such 
indeed  were  the  Whetzel's  in  an  eminent 
degree. 


In  the  year  1791  or  '92  the  Indians 
having  made  frequent  incursions  into  the 
settlements,  along  the  river  Ohio,  between 
Wheeling  and  the  Mingo  Bottom,  some- 
times killing  or  capturing  wnole  families; 
(204) 


THE    WIIETZELS.  205 

at  other  times  stealing  all  the  horses 
belonging  to  a  station  or  fort,  a  company 
consisting  of  seven  men,  rendezvoused  at 
a  place  called  the  Beech  Bottom,  on  the 
Ohio  river,  a  few  miles  below  where 
Wellsburg  has  been  erected. 

This  company  were  John  Whetzel, 
William  M'CiiUoogh,  John  Hough,  Thom;is 
Biggs,  Joseph  Hedges,  Kinzie  Diokerson 
and  a  Mr.  Linn.  Their  avowed  object 
was  to  go  to  the  Indian  town  to  steal 
horses.  This  was  then  considered  a  legal, 
honorable  business,  as  we  were  then  at 
open  war  with  the  Indians.  It  would 
only  be  retaliating  upon  them  in  their 
own  way. 

These  seven  men  were  all  trained  to 
Indian  warfare,  and  a  life  in  the  woods, 
from  their  youth.  Perhaps  the  western 
frontier  at  no  time  could  furnish  seven 
men  whose  souls  were  better  fitted,  and 
whose  nerves  and  sinews  Avere  better 
strung  to  perform  any  enterprise  which 
required  resolution  and  firmness. 

They  crossed  the  Ohio,  and  proceeded 

18 


206  THE    WIIETZELS. 

with  cautious  steps,  and  vigilant  glances 
on  their  Avay  through  the  cheerless,  dark, 
almost  impenetrable  forest,  in  the  Indian 
country,  till  thev  came  to  an  Indian  town, 
near  where  the  head  waters  of  the  San- 
dusky and  Muskingum  rivers  interlock. 
Here  thev  made  a  line  haul,  and  set  off 
homeward  with  about  fifteen  horses.  They 
travelled  rapidly,  only  making  a  short 
halt,  to  let  their  horses  graze,  and  breathe 
a  short  time  to  recruit  their  strength  and 
activity 

In  the  evening  of  the  second  day  of 
their  rai)id  retreat,  they  arrived  at  Wells 
Creek,  not  far  from  where  the  town  of 
Cambridge  has  been  since  erected.  Here 
Mr.  Linn  Avas  taken  violently  sick,  and 
they  must  stop  their  nuirch,  or  leave  him 
alone  to  perish  in  the  dark  and  lonely 
woods.  Our  frontier  men,  notwithstand- 
ing their  rougli  and  unpolished  manners, 
had  too  much  of  mv  Uncle  Toby's  "  svm- 
pathy  for  suffering  humanity,"  to  forsake 
a  comrade  in  distress.  They  halted,  and 
l)laced   sentinels  on  their  back  trail,  who 


THE    WHETZELS.  207 

remained  there  till  late  in  the  night,  Avith- 
out  seeino;  any  sians  of  beino;  pursued. 

The  sentinels  on  the  back  trail  returned 
to  the  camp,  Mr.  Linn  still  lying  in  excru- 
ciating pain.  All  the  simple  remedies  in 
their  power  were  administered  to  the  sick 
man,  without  producing  any  effect.  Being 
late  in  tlie  night,  they  all  lay  down  to 
rest,  except  one  who  was  placed  as  guard. 
Their  camp  was  on  the  bank  of  a  small 
branch. 

Just  before  day-break,  the  guard  took  a 
small  bucket,  and  dipped  some  water  out 
of  the  stream ;  on  cariynng  it  to  the  fire 
he  discovered  the  water  to  be  muddy. 
The  muddy  water  waked  his  suspicion 
that  the  enemy  might  be  approaching 
them,  and  were  walking  down  the  stream 
as  their  footsteps  would  be  noiseless  in  the 
M'ater.  He  waked  his  companions,  and 
communicated  his  suspicion.  They  arose, 
examined  the  branch  a  little  distance,  and 
listened  attentively  for  some  time;  but 
neither  saw  nor  heard  anything,  and  then 
conclurled  it  must  have  been  racoons,  or 


208  THE    WHETZELS. 

some  other  animals,  paddling  in  the 
stream. 

After  this  conclusion  the  company  all 
lay  down  to  rest,  except  the  sentinel,  who 
was  stationed  just  outside  of  the  light. 
Happily  for  them  the  fire  had  burned 
down,  and  only  a  few  coals  afforded  a  dim 
light  to  point  out  where  they  lay.  The 
enemy  had  come  silently  down  the  creek, 
as  the  sentinel  suspected,  to  within  ten 
or  twelve  feet  of  the  place  where  they  lay, 
and  fired  several  guns  over  the  bank. 
Mr.  Linn,  the  sick  man,  was  lying  with 
his  side  towards  the  bank,  and  received 
nearly  all  the  balls  which  were  at  first 
fired.  The  Indians  then,  with  tremen- 
dous yells,  mounted  the  bank  with  loaded 
rifles,  war-clubs,  and  tomahawks,  rushed 
upon  our  men,  who  fled  barefooted,  and 
without  arms. 

Mr.  Linn,  Thomas  Biggs,  and  Joseph 
Hedges  were  killed  in  and  near  the  camp. 
William  M'Ciillough  had  run  but  a  short 
distance  when  he  was  fired  at  by  the 
enemy.     At   the   instant  the   firing   was 


IHK   FINDING    OF    TDK     DKAD. 

18* 


(209) 


THE    WIIETZELS.  211 

given,  he  jumped  into  a  quagmire  and  fell ; 
the  Indians  supposing  that  they  had  killed 
him,  ran  past  in  pursuit  of  others. — He 
soon  extricated  himself  out  of  the  miie, 
and  so  made  his  escape.  He  fell  in  Avith 
John  Hough,  and  came  into  Wheeling. 

John  AVhivtzel  and  Kinzie  Dickerson 
met  in  their  retreat,  and  returned  togther. 
Those  who  made  their  escape  were  with- 
out arms,  without  clothing  or  jDrovision. 
Their  sufferings  were  great;  but  this  they 
bore  with  stoical  indifl'erence,  as  it  was  the 
fortune  of  war.  Wliether  the  Indians 
who  defeated  our  heroes  followed  in  pur- 
suit from  their  towns,  or  were  a  party  of 
warriors,  who  accidentally  happened  to 
fall  in  with  them,  has  never  been  ascer- 
tained. 

From  the  place  they  had  stolen  the 
horses,  they  had  travelled  two  nights  and 
almost  two  entire  days,  without  halting, 
except  just  a  few  minutes  at  a  time  to  let 
the  horses  graze.  From  the  circum- 
stances of  their  rapid  retreat  with  the 
horses,  it  was  Kupijosed  that  no  pursuit 


212 


THE    WHETZELS. 


could  possibly  have  overtaken  them,  h\t 
that  fate  had  decreed  that  this  party  of 
Indians  should  meet  and  defeat  them. 

As  soon  as  the  stragglers  arrived  at 
Wheeling,  Captain  John  M'Cullough  col- 
lected a  party  of  men,  and  went  to  Wells 
Creek,  and  buried  the  unfortunate  men 
who  fell  in  and  near  the  camp.  The 
Indians  had  mangled  the  dead  bodies  at  a 
most  barbarous  rate.  Thus  w^as  closed 
the  horse-stealing  tragedy. 


\'>-,^7 


\>*T- 


15^ 


Il]e  ^ocs. 

In  the  summer  of  1782,  a  party  of  seven 
Wj^andots  made  an  incursion  into  a  settle- 
ment some  distance  below  Fort  Pitt,  and 
several  miles  fiom  the  Oliio  river.  Here 
finding  an  old  man  alone  in  a  cabin,  tliey 
killed  him,  packed  up  what  plunder  they 

could  find,  and  coumienced  their  retreat. 

(213) 


214  THE  POES. 

Amongst  their  party  was  a  celebrated 
Wyandot  chief,  who,  in  addition  to  his 
fame  as  a  warrior  and  counsellor,  was, 
as  to  his  size  and  strength,  a  real  giant. 

The  news  of  the  visit  of  the  Indians 
soon  spread  through  the  neighborhood, 
and  a  party  of  eight  good  litlenien  was 
collected  in  a  few  hours  for  the  purpose 
of  pursuing  the  Indians.  In  this  party 
were  two  brothers  of  the  names  of  Adam 
and  Andrew  Poe.  They  were  both  famous 
for  courage,  size,  and  activity.  This 
little  party  commenced  the  i)ursuit  of  the 
Indians  with  a  determination,  if  possible, 
not  to  suffer  them  to  escape,  as  they 
usually  did  on  such  occasions,  by  making 
a  speedy  flight  to  the  river,  crossing  it, 
and  then  dividing  into  small  parties,  to 
meet  at  a  distant  point  in  a  given  time. 

The  pursuit  was  continued  the  greater 
part  of  the  niglit  after  the  Indians  had 
done  the  mischief.  In  the  morning  the 
party  found  tliemselves  on  tlie  trail  of  the 
Indians,  which  led  to  the  liver.  When 
arrived   witliin   a    little   distance   of   the 


THE    POES. 


(218) 


THE    POES.  21  7 

river,  Adam  Poe,  fearing  an  ambuscade, 
left  the  party,  who  followed  directly  on  the 
trail,  to  creep  along  the  brink  of  the  river 
bank,  under  cover  of  the  weeds  and 
bushes,  to  fall  on  the  rear  of  the  Indians, 
should  he  find  them  in  ambuscade.  He 
bad  not  gone  far  before  he  saw  the  Indian 
rafts  at  the  water's  edge.  Not  seeing 
any  Indians,  he  .stepped  softly  down  the 
bank,  with  his  rifle  cocked. 

When  about  half  way  dovrn,  he  dis- 
covered the  laro:e  Wvandot  chief  and  a 
small  Indian,  within  a  few  steps  of  him. 
They  were  standing  with  their  guns 
cocked,  and  looking  in  the  direction  of  our 
party,  who  by  this  time  had  gone  some 
distance  lower  down  the  bottom.  Poe 
took  aim  at  the  large  chief,  but  his  rifle 
missed  fire.  The  Indians  hearing  the 
snap  of  the  gunlock,  instanily  tuined 
round  and  discovered  Poe,  who  being  too 
near  them  to  retreat,  dropped  his  gun, 
and  si)rang  from  the  bank  upon  them, 
and  seizing  the  large  Indian  by  the  clot  lies 

on    his    bi'cast    and    at    the    same    time 

19 


218  THE    POES. 

embracing  the  neck  of  the  small  one, 
threw  them  both  down  on  the  ground, 
himself  being  uppermost. 

The  small  Indian  soon  extricated  him- 
self, ran  to  the  raft,  got  his  tomahawk, 
and  attempted  to  dispatch  Poe,  the  large 
Indian  holding  him  fast  in  his  arms  with 
all  his  might,  the  better  to  enable  his 
fellow  to  effect  his  purpose.  Poe,  how- 
ever, so  well  watched  the  motions  of  his 
assailant,  that,  when  in  the  act  of  aiming 
nis  blow  at  his  head,  by  a  vigorous  and 
well-directed  kick  with  one  of  his  feet,  he 
staggered  the  savage,  and  knocked  the 
tomahawk  out  of  his  hand.  This  failure 
on  the  part  of  the  small  Indian,  w^as 
reproved  by  an  exclamation  of  contempt 
from  the  large  one. 

In  a  moment  the  Indian  caught  up  his 
tomahawk  again,  approached  more  cau- 
tiously, brandishing  his  tomahawk,  and 
making  a  number  of  feigned  blows  in 
deiiance  and  derision.  Poe,  however,  still 
on  his  guard,  averted  the  real  blow  from 
his   head,  by  throwing  up   his   arm   and 


THE   POES.  219 

receiving  it  on  his  wrist,  in  which 
he  was  severely  wounded ;  but  not  so  as 
to  lose  entirely  the  use  of  his  hand.  In 
this  perilous  moment,  Poe,  by  a  violent 
effort,  broke  loose  from  the  Indian, 
snatched  up  one  of  the  Indians'  guns  and 
shot  the  small  Indian  through  the  breast, 
as  he  ran  up  a  third  time  to  tomahawk 
him. 

The  large  Indian  was  now  on  his  feet, 
and  grasping  Poe  by  a  shoulder  and  leg, 
threw  him  down  on  the  bank.  Poe 
instantly  disengaged  himself,  and  got  on 
his  feet.  Tlie  Indian  then  seized  him 
again,  and  a  new  struggle  ensued,  which, 
owing  to  the  slippery  state  of  the  bank, 
ended  in  the  fall  of  both  combatants  into 
the  water.  In  this  situation  it  was  the 
object  of  each  to  drown  the  other.  Their 
efforts  to  effect  their  purpose  were  con- 
tinued for  some  time  with  alternate 
success,  sometimes  one  being  under  the 
water  and  sometimes  the  other. 

Poe  at  length  seized  the  tuft  of  hair  on 
the  scalp  of  the  Indian,   with  which  he 


220  THE    POES. 

held  his  head  under  water,  until  he 
supposed  him  drowned.  Relaxing  his 
hold  too  soon,  Poe  instantly  found  his 
gigantic  antagonist  on  his  feet  again,  and 
ready  for  another  combat.  In  this  they 
were  carried  into  the  water  beyond  their 
depth.  In  this  situation  they  were  com- 
pelled to  loose  their  hold  on  each  other, 
and  swim  for  mutual  safety.  Both  sought 
the  shore,  to  seize,  a  gun  and  end  the 
contest  with  bullets.  The  Indian  being 
the  best  swimmer,  reached  the  land  first. 
Poe  seeing  this,  immediately  turned  back 
into  tbe  water,  to  escape,  if  possible, 
being  shot,  by  diving.  Fortunately,  the 
Indian  caught  up  the  ritle  with  which 
Poe  had  killed  the  other  warrior. 

At  this  juncture,  Andrew  Poe,  missing 
his  brother  from  the  party,  and  supposing 
from  the  report  of  the  gun  which  he  shot, 
that  he  was  either  killed  or  engaged  in 
conflict  with  the  Indians,  hastened  to  the 
spot.  On  seeing  him,  Adam  called  out  to 
him  to  "kill  the  big  Indian  on  shore." 
But  Andrew's  gun,  like  that  of  the  Indian's, 


ADAM    foe's    adventure   WITH    TWO   INDIANS.  (-21) 


19^ 


THE    POES.  223 

was  empty.  The  contest  was  now  between 
the  white  and  the  Indian,  who  should 
load  and  fire  first.  Yery  fortunately  for 
Poe,  the  Indian  in  loading  drew  the  ram- 
rod from  the  thimbles  of  the  stock  of  the 
gun  with  so  much  violence  that  it  slipped 
out  of  his  hand,  and  fell  a  little  distance 
from  him.  He  quickly  caught  it  up  and 
rammed  down  his  bullet.  This  little 
delay  gave  Poe  the  advantage.  He  shot 
the  Indian  as  he  was  raising  his  gun  to 
take  aim  at  him. 

As  soon  as  Andrew  had  shot  the  Indian 
he  jumped  into  the  river  to  assist  his 
wounded  brother  to  shore ;  but  Adam 
thinking  more  of  the  honor  of  carrying 
the  scalp  of  the  big  Indiau  home  as  a 
trophy  of  victory  than  of  his  own  safety, 
urged  Andrew  to  go  back  and  prevent  the 
struggling  savage  from  rolling  himself 
into  the  river  and  escaping.  Andrew's 
solicitude  for  the  life  of  his  brother  pre- 
vented him  from  complying  with  this 
request.  In  the  meantime,  the  Indian, 
jealous  of  the  honor  of  his  scalp  even  in 


224  THE    POES. 

the  agonies  of  death,  succeeded  in  reacli 
ing  the  river  and  getting  into  the  carrent 
so  that  his  body  was  never  obtained. 

An  unfortunate  occurrence  took  place 
during  this  conflict.  Just  as  Andrew 
arrived  at  the  top  of  tlie  bank  for  the 
relief  of  his  brother,  one  of  the  party  who 
had  followed  close  behind  him,  seeing 
Adam  in  the  river,  and  mistaking  him  for 
a  wounded  Indian,  shot  at  him,  and 
wounded  him  in  the  shoulder.  He  how- 
ever recovei'cd  from  his  wounds.  During 
the  contest  between  Adam  Poe  and  the 
Indians,  the  party  had  overtaken  the 
remaining  six  of  them. 

A  desperate  conflict  ensued,  in  which  five 
of  the  Indians  were  killed.  Our  loss  was 
three  men  killed,  and  Adam  Poe  severely 
wounded,  Thus  ended  the  Si)artan  con- 
flict, with  the  loss  of  three  valiant  men 
on  our  part,  and  with  that  of  the  whole 
Indian  party  excepting  one  wariior. 
Never  on  any  occasion  was  there  a  greater 
display  of  desperate  bravery,  and  seldom 
did   a  conflict  take  place,   which,  in  the 


THE    POES.  22") 

.ssne,  proved  fatal  to  so  great  a  pro})oi'tion 
jf  those  engaged  in  it. 

The  fatal  result  of  this  little  campaign, 
on  the  side  of  tlie  Indians,  occasioned  a 
universal  mourning  among  the  Wyandot 
nation.  The  big  Indian  and  his  four 
brothers,  all  of  whom  were  killed  at  the 
same  place,  were  among  the  most  dis- 
tinguished chiefs  and  warriors  of  their 
nation. 

The  big  Indian  was  magnanimous  as 
well  as  brave.  He,  more  than  any  other 
individual,  contributed,  by  his  exani]^le 
and  intluence,  to  the  good  character  of 
the  Wyandots  for  lenity  towards  their 
prisoners.  He  would  not  suffer  tlieni 
to  be  killed  or  ill-treated.  This  mercy  to 
captives  was  an  honorable  distinction  in 
the  character  of  the  Wyandots,  and  was 
well-understood  by  our  first  settlers,  who, 
in  case  of  captivity,  thought  it  a  fortunate 
circumstance  to  fall  into  their  hands. 


The  Boy  Warriors. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1793,  two  boy  a 
of  the  name  of  John  and  Henry  Johnson, 
the  first  thirteen,  the  latter  eleven  years 
old,  whose  parents  lived  in  Carpenter's 
station,  a  little  distance  above  the  mouth 
of  Short   Creek,  on  the  east   side  of  tLe 

(226) 


THE    JOHNSONS.  227 

Ohio  river,  were  sent  out  in  the  evening 
to  hunt  the  cows.  At  the  foot  of  a  hill  at 
the  back  of  the  bottom,  they  sat  down 
under  a  hickory  tree  to  crack  some  nuts. 
They  soon  saw  two  men  coming  towards 
tliem,  one  of  whom  had  a  bridle  in  his 
hand.  Being  dressed  like  white  men, 
they  mistook  them  for  their  father  and  an 
uncle  in  search  of  horses.  When  they 
discovered  their  mistake,  and  attempted 
to  run  off,  the  Indians,  pointing  their  guns 
at  them,  told  them  to  stop  or  they  would 
kill  them.  Thev  halted  and  were  taken 
prisoners. 

The  Indians  being  in  pursuit  of  horses 
conducted  the  boys  by  a  circuitous  route 
over  the  Short  creek  hills  in  search  of 
them,  until  late  in  the  evening,  when 
they  halted  at  a  spring  in  a  hollow  place, 
about  three  miles  from  the  fort.  Here 
they  kindled  a  small  fire,  cooked  and  ate 
some  victuals,  and  prepared  to  repose  for 
the  niirht.  Henrv,  the  vounsrest  of  the 
boys,  during  the  ramble  had  affected  the 
greatest  satisfaction  at  having  been  taken 


228  THE    JOHNSON?;. 

prisoner.  He  said  his  father  was  a  hard 
master,  who  kej^t  hiui  always  at  hard 
work,  and  allowed  him  no  play ;  but  that 
for  his  part  he  wished  to  live  in  the 
woods  and  be  a  hunter.  This  deportment 
soon  brought  him  into  intimacy  with  one 
of  the  Indians,  who  could  speak  very  good 
English.  The  Indians  frequently  asked 
the  boys  if  they  knew  of  any  good  horses 
running  in  the  woods.  Some  time  before 
they  halted,  one  of  the  Indians  gave  the 
largest  of  the  boys  a  little  bag,  which  he 
supposed  contained  money,  and  made  him 
carry  it. 

When  night  came  on  the  fire  was 
covered  up,  the  boys  pinioned,  and  made 
to  lie  down  together.  The  Indians  then 
placed  their  hoppis  straps  over  them,  and 
lav  down,  one  on  each  side  of  them  on  the 
ends  of  the  straps.  Pretty  late  in  the 
night  the  Indians  fell  asleep  ;  and  one  c'' 
them  becoming  cold,  caught  hold  of  John 
in  his  arms  and  turned  him  over  on  the 
outside.  In  this  situation,  the  boy,  who 
had  kept  awake,  found  means  to  get  his 


THE    JOHNSONS.  229 

hands  loose.  He  then  whispered  to  his 
brother,  made  him  get  up,  and  untied  his 
arms.  This  done,  Henry  thought  of 
nothing  but  running  off  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible; but  when  about  to  start,  John 
caught  hold  of  him,  saying,  "We  must 
kill  these  Indians  before  we  go."  After 
some  hesitation,  Henry  agreed  to  make 
the  attempt.  John  then  took  one  of  the 
rifles  of  the  Indians,  and  placed  it  on  a 
log,  with  the  muzzle  close  to  the  head  of 
one  of  them.  He  then  cocked  the  gun, 
and  placed  his  little  brother  at  the  breech, 
with  his  finger  on  the  trigger,  with 
instructions  to  pull  it  as  soon  as  he 
should  strike  the  other  Indian. 

He  then  took  one  of  the  Indian's  toma- 
hawks, and  standing  astride  of  the  other 
Indian,  struck  him  with  it.  The  blow 
however,  fell  on  the  back  of  the  neck  and 
to  one  side,  so  as  not  to  be  fatal.  The 
Indian  then  attempted  to  spring  up ;  but 
the  little  fellow  repeated  his  blows  with 
such  force  and  ra|)idity  on  the  skull,  that, 

as  he  expressed  it,  "  the  Indian  lay  still 

20 


230  THE   JOHNSONS. 

and  began  to  quiver."  At  tlie  moment  of 
the  first  stroke  given  by  the  elder  brother 
with  the  tomahawk,  the  younger  one 
pulled  the  trigger,  and  shot  away  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  Indian's  lower 
jaw.  This  Indian,  a  moment  after 
receiving  the  shot,  began  to  flounce  about 
and  yell  in  the  most  frightful  manner. 
The  boys  then  made  the  best  of  their  way 
to  the  fort,  and  reached  it  a  little  before 
day-break.  On  getting  near  the  fort  they 
found  the  people  all  up  and  in  great 
agitation  on  their  account.  On  hearing 
a  woman  exclaim,  "Poor  little  fellows, 
they  are  killed  or  taken  prisoners!"  the 
oldest  one  answered,  "No,  mother,  we  are 
here  yet." 

Having  brought  nothing  away  with 
them  from  the  Indian  camp,  their  relation 
of  what  had  taken  place  between  them 
and  the  Indians  was  not  fullv  credited. 
A  small  party  was  soon  made  up  to  go 
and  ascertain  the  truth  or  falsehood  of 
their  report.  This  party  the  boys  con- 
ducted to  the  spot  by  the  shortest  route. 


THE   JOHNSONS.  231 

On  arriving  at  the  place,  they  found  the 
Indian  whom  the  oldest  brother  had  toma- 
hawked, lying  dead  in  the  camp ;  the 
other  had  crawled  away,  and  taken  his 
gun  and  shot-pouch  wdth  him.  After 
scalping  the  Indian,  the  party  returned  to 
the  fort ;  and  the  same  day  a  larger  party 
went  out  to  look  after  the  wounded  Indian, 
who  had  crawled  some  distance  from  the 
camp  and  concealed  himself  in  the  top  of 
a  fallen  tree,  where,  notwithstanding  the 
severity  of  his  w^ound,  w^ith  a  Spartan 
braverv,  he  determined  to  sell  his  life  as 
dearly  as  possible.  Having  fixed  his  gun 
for  the  purpose,  on  the  approach  of  the 
men  to  a  proper  distance,  he  took  aim  at 
one  of  them,  and  pulled  the  trigger,  but 
his  gun  missed  fire.  On  hearing  the  snap 
of  the  lock,  one  of  the  men  exclaimed, 
"  I  should  not  like  to  be  killed  by  a  dead 
Indian  1"  The  party  concluding  that  the 
Indian  would  die  at  any  rate,  thought  best 
to  retreat,  and  return  and  look  for  him 
after  some  time.  On  returning,  however, 
lie   could   not   be  found,  having   crawled 


232  THE    JOHNSONS. 

away  and  concealed  himself  in  some  othei 
place.  His  skeleton  and  gun  were  found 
some  time  afterwards. 

The  Indians  who  were  killed  were  great 
wariiors,  and  very  wealthy.  The  bag, 
which  was  supposed  to  contain  money,  it 
was  conjectured  was  got  by  one  of  the 
party  w^ho  went  out  first  in  the  morning. 
On  hearing  the  rej)()rt  of  the  boys,  he 
slipped  off  by  liimself,  and  reached  the 
place  before  the  party  arrived.  For 
some  time  afterwards  he  appeared  to 
have  a  greater  plenty  of  money  than  his 
neighbors. 

The  Indians  themselves  did  honor  to 
the  bravery  of  these  two  boys.  After 
their  treaty  with  General  Wayne,  a  friend 
of  the  Indians  who  were  killed,  made 
inquiry  of  a  man  from  Short  Creek,  what 
had  become  of  the  boys  who  killed  the 
Indians?  He  was  answered  that  they 
lived  at  the  same  place  with  their  paients. 
The  Indian  replied,  "  You  have  not  done 
right ;  you  should  make  kings  of  those 
boys." 


2lc^be»)ft|^C3  of  ]i\^e^  §h]h[]. 

Among  the  earliest  captivities  on  record 
from  the  Pennsylvania  frontier,  which  is 
highly  instinctive  of  Indian  life,  is  that 
of  James  Smith,  who  afterwards,  from  the 
opportunity  afforded  for  becoming  familiar 
with  the  habits  of  the  savages,  became  as 
successful  as  prominent  in  skirmishes 
with  them,  during  the  subsequent  wars 
of  the  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1755,  a  road  was  cut  at 
the    expense  of  the  province  of  Pennsyl- 

20^  (238) 


534 


ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH. 


vniiia  from  Fort  Leaden,  in  Cumberland 
coiinty,  to  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Yoii.di- 
iogheny,  intersecting  at  that  place  ^viih 
Braddock's  road.     It  was  designed  to  fur- 


OENERAL    BRADDOCK. 


nish  supplies  by  this  road,  to  Braddock's 
army,  and  as  a  communication  with  the 
western  country  for  the  same  purpose  when 
Braddock  should  take  possession  of  it,  as 


ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SxMITH.  235 

little  doubts  were  entertained  about  tbe 
success  of  his  campaign. 

Three  hundred  men  were  emplo^^ed  in 
the  service.  James  Smith,  a  3'oung  man 
of  eighteen  years  of  age,  was  of  the  num- 
ber. Being  sent  back  with  another  for 
the  purpose  of  hurrying  forward  some  pio- 
vision  wagons,  on  their  return  they  were 
waylaid  by  three  Indians,  his  companion 
killed  and  scal})ed,  and  he  taken  prisoner. 
He  was  immediatelv  marched  to  Fort  Du 
Quesne,  where  his  tntree  to  the  place  failed 
not  to  be  siiinalized  by  the  cruel  custom 
of  running  the  gantlet,  amid  the  yells, 
execrations,  and  blows  of  numerous 
savages.  Felled  to  the  earth  before  he  had 
reached  the  place  for  which  he  had  to  run, 
he  was  carried  senseless  into  the  fort,  and 
on  return  to  a  consciousness  of  his  situa- 
tion, found  himself  being  administered 
to  by  a  French  physician,  under  whose 
care  he  eventually  recovered  from  the 
wounds  that  lind  been  so  unmercifullv 
inflicted  upon  him.  In  the  meantime 
Braddock    had    advanced   and    been  de- 


236  ADVENTURES    OF    JAxMES    SMITH. 

feated.  The  distressing  account  given 
by  him  of  that  melancholy  affair,  throws 
much  light  upon  the  movements  of  the 
French  and  Indians  at  that  time. 

Shortly  afterwards  he  was  taken  by 
some  Delaware  Indians,  who  had  resolved 
on  sparing  his  life,  in  a  canoe  up  the 
Allegheny,  to  an  Indian  town,  which  he 
mentions  as  about  forty  miles  distant ;  and 
from  which  it  is  probable  that  the  Kittan- 
ning  villages  was  the  place,  they  being 
about  that  distance.  After  remaining  here 
about  three  weeks  he  was  taken  to  another 
town  called  Tullihas,  inhabited  bv  Dela- 
wares,  Caughnewagas,  and  Mohikans,  on 
the  north  branch  of  the  Muskingum.  The 
daj  after  arriving  at  this  latter  place,  the 
hair  from  his  head  was  all  plucked  out 
but  a  small  tuft  on  the  crown,  which  they 
dressed  after  their  own  fashion.  His  ears 
and  nose  were  then  perforated  and  adorned 
with  Jewels.  His  accustomed  dress  was 
next  abandoned  and  that  of  the  Indian 
substituted.  His  body  was  now  being 
aintcd    with    various   colors,    a   belt   of 


SMITH    CARRIED    INTO    THE    FORT    AFTER    RUNNING    THE    GANTLET.  (237) 


ADVENTURES    OF   JAxMES    SMITH.  239 

wanipuni  thrown  over  his  neck,  and  his 
arms  adorned  with  silver  bands ;  he  was 
led  out  in  front  of  the  w^igwams  by  an  old 
chief,  who  gave  a  few  sharp  halloes  (coo- 
wigh),  upon  which  the  inhabitants  of  the 
whole  town  came  running  and  gathered 
around  liim  and  the  metamorphosed 
prisoner,  whom  he  retained  by  the  hand. 

Smith  not  being  informed  for  what 
object  he  w^as  thus  obliged  to  submit  to 
their  barbarous  notions  of  dress;  and 
now,  that  the  whole  inhabitants  of  the 
town  were  summoned,  he  began  to  sup- 
pose he  had  only  been  prepared  to  be  the 
victim  of  some  of  their  cruel  rites.  Not  a 
prisoner  being  spared  life,  as  he  says,  that 
w^as  taken  at  Braddock's  defeat,  he  con- 
cluded that  they  were  now  determined 
to  prelude  his  death  by  the  infliction  of 
some  excruciating  torments. 

When  the  multitude  had  assembled 
around,  the  old  chief,  by  his  side,  made  a 
long,  loud  speech.  This  ended,  the 
prisoner  was  given  into  the  custody  of 
three    young   squaws,    who   leading   him 


240  ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SMITH. 

by  the  hand  down  the  bank  of  the  river, 
entered  it  till  the  water  was  mid-way 
deep.  The  squaws  made  signs  to  him 
to  plunge  under  the  water,  but  not  under- 
standing the  motive,  he  concluded  that  his 
death  indeed  had  been  resolved  upon,  and 
these  three  young  females  deputed  his 
executioners ;  accordingly  a  most  stub- 
born resistance  was  made  by  him,  when 
the  whole  three  endeavored  as  indus- 
triously to  force  him  under  the  water. 
Loud  yells  and  peals  of  laughter  echoed 
from  the  motley  crowd  of  chiefs,  warriors, 
squaws  and  children,  on  the  bank ;  while 
poor  Smith  as  Thompson  perhaps  would 
express  it,  while  alluding  to  a  similar  cir- 
cumstance, 

"  Inly  disturbed,  and  wondering  what  this  wild, 
Outrageous  tumult  means," 

struggled  the  more. 

A  t  length  one  of  the  squaws  calling  all 
her  little  English  in  aid,  made  out  to  give 
him  assurance  of  their  perfectly  peaceful 
intentions,  by  saying,  ''no  hurt  yoit.^'' 

Upon,    at   length,    thus   understanding 


Jfcj   '     Ik™!  ■'  ■■-!'■ 


ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SMITH.  243 

tlieir  wishes,  Smith  quietly  gave  himself 
up  to  their  ladyships,  who,  he  said,  were 
as  good  as  their  word;  for  though  they 
plunged  him  under  the  water  and  washed 
and  rubbed  him  severely,  they  did  not 
hurt  him  much. 

After  the  process  of  washing  was  over, 
he  was  conducted  by  the  courteous  females 
np  to  the  council-house,  where  a  full  suit 
of  Indian  costume  awaited  him,  in  which 
he  was  immediately  habited.  It  consisted 
of  a  ruffled  shirt,  a  pair  of  leggins  "  done 
off  with  ribbons,"  and  a  "pair  of  moc- 
casons  dressed  with  beads,  porcu})ine 
quills  and  red  hair,"  together  with  a 
tinsel-laced  capo.  His  neck  and  face  were 
again  painted  various  colors,  and  his  head 
adorned  with  feathers. 

Being  seated  on  a  bear-skin,  a  pipe, 
tomahawk,  and  polecat-skin  pouch  were 
given  him ;  the  latter  containing  tobacco, 
spunk,  flint  and  steel.  The  Indians, 
dressed  and  painted  in  their  grandest 
manner,  now  entered,  and  seating  them- 


244  ADVENTURES    OV    JAMES    SMITH. 

selves  with  their  pipes,  a  profound  silence 
ensued. 

Shortly,  one  of  the  chiefs  rose  and  made 
a  speech,  addressing  himself  to  Smith, 
which  being  interpreted  to  him,  was-^ 

''  My  son,  you  are  now  llesh  of  our  He>h 
and  bone  of  our  bone.  By  the  ceremony 
that  was  performed  this  day,  every  drop 
of  white-man's  blood  was  washed  out  of 
your  veins;  you  are  taken  now  into  the 
Caughnewago  nation,  and  initiated  into  a 
warlike  tribe ;  you  are  adopted  into  a 
great  family,  and  now  leceived  with  great 
seriousness  and  soleranitv  in  the  room 
and  place  of  a  great  man.  By  what  has 
passed  this  day  you  are  now  one  of  us  by 
an  old  strong  law  and  custom.  My  son, 
you  have  now  nothing  to  fear.  We  are 
now  under  the  same  obligations  to  love, 
support,  and  defend  you,  that  we  are  to 
love  and  defend  one  another ;  therefore 
you  are  to  consider  yourself  as  one  of  our 
people." 

Mr.  Smith  says,  in  his  nanative,  rather 


ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SMITH.  245 

humorously,  that  he  did  not  at  the  tiuie 
put  much  faith  in  this  "  fine  speech"  of 
the  old  man ;  especially  that  of  the 
white-man's  blood  being  washed  from  his 
veins.  However,  their  subsequent  con- 
duct towards  him  proved  the  sincerity 
of  the  speech,  for  no  distinction  was  after- 
wards made  between  him  and  tlieir  people. 

Smith  was  now  acknowledged  and 
greeted  by  hi.s  new  kins-folk,  and  the 
ensuins:  evenins:  invited  to  a  feast. 

We  have  been  minute  in  this  part  of 
the  narrative,  that  thi^  ceremony  of  adop- 
tion into  this  nation  uiight  be  presented. 

After  the  feast  was  over  in  the  evening, 
their  war-dance  was  performed  and  their 
war-song  sung,  preparatory  to  the  depar- 
ture of  a  party  of  warriors,  who  were  to 
leave  the  next  morning  on  a  predatory 
excursion  to  the  frontiers  of  Virginia. 

Their  war-dance  seems  to  difl'er  verv 
little  from  that  of  the  Senecas. 

"They  had  both  vocal  and  instrumental 
music,"  says  Mr.  Smith,  "they  had  a 
short  hollow  gum,  closed  at  one  end  with 

21* 


246  ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SMITH. 

water  in  it,  and  parchment  stretched  over 
the  open  end  thereof,  which  they  beat  with 
one  stick,  and  made  a  sound  nearly  lilvc  a 
muffled  drum, — all  those  who  were  going 
on  this  expedition  collected  together  and 
formed.  An  old  Indian  then  began  to 
sing,  and  timed  the  music  by  beating  on 
his  drum,  as  the  ancients  formerly  timed 
their  music  by  beating  the  tabor.  On 
this  the  warriors  began  to  advance,  or 
move  forward  in  concert,  like  well  discip- 
lined troops  would  march  to  the  fife  and 
drum.  Each  warrior  had  a  tomahawk, 
spear,  or  war-mallet  in  his  hand,  and  they 
all  moved  regularly  towards  the  east,  or 
the  way  they  intended  to  go  to  war.  At 
length  they  all  stretched  their  tomahawks 
towards  the  Potomac,  and  giving  a 
hideous  shout  or  yell,  they  wheeled  quick 
about,  and  danced  in  the  same  manner 
back.  The  next  was  the  war-song.  In 
performing  this,  only  one  sung  at  a  time, 
in  a  moving  posture,  with  a  tomahawk  in 
his  hand,  while  all  the  other  warriors 
were  engaged  in  calling   aloud  he-uh  he- 


i':"'''-'i'!|;i''''''i!T'''"!ill  Pi  ! 


I^ljlll"-*'" 


liiiiUhiiUii.Uii""" 


ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH.  249 

nil  which  they  constantly  repeated  while 
the  war-song  was  going  on.  When  the 
warrior  that  was  singing  had  ended  his 
song,  he  struck  a  war-post  with  his  toma- 
hawk, and  with  a  loud  voice  told  what 
warlike  exploits  he  had  done,  and  what  he 
now  intended  to  do.  which  were  answered 
by  the  other  warriors  with  loud  shouts  of 
applause.  Some  who  had  not  before 
intended  to  go  to  the  war,  at  this  time 
were  so  animated  by  the  performance, 
that  they  took  up  the  tomahawk  and  sung 
the  war-song,  which  was  answered  with 
shouts  of  joy,  as  they  were  then  initiated 
into  the  present  marching  company.  The 
next  morning  this  compan^^  all  collected  at 
one  place,  with  their  heads  and  faces 
painted  with  various  colors,  and  packs 
upon  their  backs:  they  marched  off,  all 
silent,  except  the  commander,  who,  in  the 
front,  sung  the  travelling  song,  which 
began  in  this  manner:  hoo  caiigh  tainU 
heegana.  Just  as  the  rear  passed  the  end 
of  the  town,  they  began  to  fire  in  their 
slow  manner  from  the  front  to  the  rear, 


250  ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH. 

which  was  accompanied  with  shouts  and 
yells  from  all  quarters." 

Shortly  afterwards  the  remaining  war- 
riors of  the  nation  went  on  a  hunting 
excursion    a   short  distance   west,  Smith 


BL'FFALO    HUNTING. 


accompanied  them.  Many  amusing  things 
are  related  by  him  as  occurring.  It  seems 
buffalo  and  elk  were  plenty  at  the  time, 
which,  with  other  animals^  were  killed  in 
abundance  by  the  pai'ty. 


ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SMITH.  251 

After  an  absence  of  about  six  weeks 
tliey  returned.  By  this  time  the  party 
that  liad  left  for  the  Virginia  frontiers 
had  returned.  They  had  brought  many 
prisoners  and  scalps  with  tliem. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  Smith 
was  taken  across  to  Erie,  his  adopted 
brotlier-in-law  havina;  married  a  Wvandot 
squaw,  and  removing  thither  was  the 
occasion  of  Smith's  going. 

It  seems  not  to  have  been  an  unusual 
custom  for  one  nation  to  intei-marry  with 
another.  The  Caughnewagas  are  men- 
tioned as  having  intermarried  also  with 
the  Delawares. 

Winter  coming  on  a  cabin  was  built  for 
their  shelter.  "  They  cut  logs,"  continues 
Smith,  "about  fifteen  feet  long,  and  laid 
these  logs  upon  each  other,  and  drove 
posts  in  the  ground  at.  each  end  to  keep 
them  together ;  the  posts  they  tied  toge- 
ther at  the  top  with  bark,  and  by  this 
means  raised  a  wall  fifteen  feet  long,  and 
about  four  feet  high,  and  in  the  same 
manner  they  raised  another  wall  opposite 


252  ADVENTURES    UE    JAMES    SMITH. 

to  this,  at  about  twelve  feet  distance ; 
then  thev  drove  forks  in  the  oTOiind  in  the 
centre  of  each  end,  and  laid  a  strong  pole 
fiom  end  to  end  on  these  forks ;  and  from 
these  walls  to  the  poles,  they  set  up  poles 
instead  of  rafters,  and  on  these  tied  small 
poles  in  place  of  laths  ;  and  a  cover  was 
made  of  lynn  bark,  which  will  run  even 
in  the  winter  season. 

"As  every  tree  •  will  not  run,  they 
examine  the  tree  first,  bv  trvinoi:  it  near 
the  ground,  and  when  they  find  it  will  do, 
they  fell  the  tree  and  raise  the  bark  with 
the  tonuihawk  near  the  top  of  the  tree, 
about  five  or  six  inches  Isioad,  then  put 
the  tomahawk  handle  under  this  bark, 
and  i)ull  it  along  down  the  butt  of  the 
tree  ;  so  that  sometimes  one  piece  of  bark 
will  be  thirty  feet  long;  this  bark  they 
cut  at  suitable  lengths  in  order  to  cover 
the  hut. 

"  At  the  end  of  these  walls  tliey  set  uj) 
split  timber,  so  that  they  had  timber  all 
round,  excepting  a  door  at  each  end.  At 
the   top,   in   ])lacc    of    a    chimney,    they 


ADVENTURES    OF    JAMES    SMITH.  255 

left  an  open  place,  and  for  bedding  tliey 
laid  down  the  aforesaid  kind  of  bark,  on 
which  they  spread  bear-skins.  From  end 
to  end  of  this  hut  along  the  middle  there 
were  fires,  which  the  squaws  made  of  dry 
split  wood,  and  the  holes  or  open  places 
that  appeared,  the  squaws  stopped  with 
moss,  which  they  collected  from  old  logs ; 
and  at  the  door  they  hung  a  bearskin ; 
and  notwithstanding  the  winters  are  hard 
here,  our  lodging  was  much  better  than 
what  I  expected." 

This  done,  the  warriors  ascain  left  to 
harass  the  frontiers,  and  the  hunters  to 
procure  meat  for  the  winter. 

Warriors  and  hunters  are  distinct 
classes  among  the  Indians,  and  the  former 
chosen  by  votes  on  all  occasions,  which  is 
considered  a  mark  of  high  distinction. 
At  this  period  when  the  guns  were  in 
demand  for  war,  the  hunters  were 
restricted  to  bows  and  arrows,  and  often 
with  a  single  arrow  it  seems  they  would 
kill  even  so  formidable  ah  animal  as  a 
bear. 


256  ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH. 

Young  Smith  and  Contileaugo,  bis 
brother-in-law,  hunted  in  company.  It 
being  the  time  of  year  that  bears  lie  most 
of  the  time  in  an  inactive  state  in  their 
lairs,  and  the  season  when  their  flesh  is 
best,  an  endeavor  was  made  to  take  them. 

The  manner  in  which  they  weie  caught 
was  by  observing  trees  with  the  bark 
scratched  off  which  was  done  by  them  in 
the  act  of  climbing  to  their  holes — their 
lairs  being  for  the  most  part  in  cavities  in 
the  bodies  of  trees  at  some  distance  from 
the  ground. 

When  a  tree  was  found  with  the  bark 
somewhat  scratched  off,  with  a  hole  in 
the  trunk  above,  a  sapling  was  felled 
against  it,  to  serve  as  a  ladder.  One  of 
the  hunters  would  now  ascend  the  tree 
and  drive  out  the  animal  with  a  pole, 
while  another  below  stood  in  readiness  to 
shoot  the  moment  he  made  his  appearance. 
If  a  failure  was  made  in  brinouns;  him  to 
daylight,  a  fire  was  kindled  in  the  cavity 
to  smoke  him  out. 


|f  I'll  T   ^  \\J'ffl!  :^ffll1f;!il'<!'|r|n!i  w  ■ir  ■s:--«-^- '"iiiiiir 


S!li?i!!iiji^^trt'^ 


22* 


(257) 


ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH.         259 

Several  bears  were  procured  in  this 
way  by  Smith  and  the  Indian. 

As  the  spring  opened  the  Indians  began 
to  be  occupied  in  making  sugar  from  the 
sap  of  the  maple.  Their  vessels,  it  seems, 
for  holding  the  water,  were  made  from 
elm  bark,  being  large  enough  to  contain 
several  gallons.  Their  manner  of  notch- 
ing the  tree  to  obtain  the  water  was  by 
cutting  a  large  one,  sloping  downwards, 
at  the  end  of  which  a  tomahawk  was 
driven  in.  After  taking  the  tomahawk 
out,  a  chip  was  driven  in,  which  answered 
as  a  spile,  and  under  which  the  vessel  was 
set.  The  water  being  collected  was  boiled 
in  brass  kettles,  which  most  of  the  Indians 
endeavored  to  be  furnished  with. 

The  manner  in  which  they  used  the  sugar 
\vas  by  mixing  it  plentifully  with  bear's 
fat,  into  which  they  dipped  roasted  venison. 

The  Indians  are  noted  for  their  ability 
to  run  long  distances.  The  Wyandots 
sometimes  relied  upon  their  wind  in  run- 
ning down  horses,  and  often,  it  appears, 
caught  them  in  this  way. 


260  ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH. 

Smith  and  his  adopted  brother-in-law, 
while  hunting,  came  across  some  horses 
that  were  running  at  large.  Stripping 
themselves  naked,  except  the  breech-clout 
and  moccasons,  they  started  in  pursuit. 
Smith  soon  gave  out  for  want  of  breath, 
but  the  Indian  continued  the  pursuit  the 
whole  day,  yet  the  animals  still  distanced 
him.  The  alternative  then  resorted  to 
was  to  shoot  them  through  the  neck 
between  the  bone  and  the  mane.  This 
was  resorted  to  in  the  present  instance, 
but  as,  perhaps  in  many  other  cases, 
proved  fatal,  from  not  being  able  to  send 
the  ball  precisely  to  the  right  place. 

Many  were  the  interesting  scenes  and 
customs  of  Indian  life  that  fell  under  the 
notice  of  Smith  while  living  with  them. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1758 
word  reached  the  French  at  Detroit  that 
Forbes  was  preparing  a  formidable  army 
to  march  against  fort  Du  Quesne.  Smith 
was  then  with  the  Indians  near  Detroit. 
From  him  we  learn  that  the  French,  upon 
the     receipt    of     this    news,   dispatched 


MAPLE-SUGAR   MAKING. 


(261) 


ADVENTURES    OF   JAMES    SMITH.  263 

runners  to  the  different  nations  and  tribes 
in  that  vicinity,  soliciting  their  warriors 
to  march  forthwith  to  Fort  Du  Quesne  to 
repel  Forbes.  The  warriors  generally  soon 
rendezvoused  at  Detroit,  with  great  cheer- 
fulness and  alacrity,  boasting  they  would 
serve  Forbes  as  thev  had  Braddock. 

After  most  of  two  years  more  wander- 
ing among  the  Indians,  Smith  made  his 
escape  to  the  French  at  Montreal,  from 
which  place,  after  being  detained  some 
time  with  other  English  prisoners,  he  was 
sent  to  Crown  Point,  and  exchanged ; 
from  whence  after  five  years  absence,  he 
returned  home,  where,  he  says,  "  he  was 
received  with  great  joy  but  with  suiprise, 
to  seem  so  much  like  an  Indian  both  in 
gait  and  gesture." 

In  1765,  Smith  was  granted  a  lieu- 
tenant's commission,  and  accompanied 
Bouquet  in  his  campaign  against  the  Ohio 
Indians. 


U.J 


-It  was  (iiiring  the  year  1764  that  the 
first  plan  of  lots,  known  as  the  Military 
Plan,  was  laid  off  adjacent  to  Fort  Pitt, 
and  the  projected  village  called  Pittsburg. 

It  was  likewise  during  this  same  vear 
that  the  old  redoubt,  still  standing,  was 
erected  by  Colonel  Bouquet  ininiediately 
alter  his  return  with  the  army  from  he 
Muskingum. 

Among  the  settlements  on  the  Loval- 

(264) 


ADVENTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURB RIDGE.    265 


COLONEL  -BOUQUET. 


•'»*. 


hanna  at  this  period,  an  oM  hunter  by  the 
name  of  William  Biirbi'idge,  had  com- 
menced one  near  where  New  Alexandria 
now  stands.  He  had  built  his  cabin  on 
the  banks  of  the  creek,  at  a  considerable 

distance  froui  any  other,    which,   shaded 

23 


2GG    ADVENTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE. 

by  tlie  luxuriant  forests  had  long  been 
the  remote  home  of  the  hunter-hermit 
before  any  other  than  himself  had  entered 
it. 

He  had  commenced  what  was  called  a 
tomahawk  improvement;  but  possibly 
when  he  took  up  his  residence  here,  the 
acquisition  of  land  had  been  no  object. 
Like  many  others,  in  the  distant  forests, 
he  may  have  remained  but  to  enjoy  the 
solitary  hunter's  life. 

On  the  return  of  Bouquet's  troops  to 
the  settlements  east  of  the  mountains, 
Burbridge  in  the  course  of  his  rambles 
happened  to  fall  in  with  them.  And 
having  perhaps  come  to  tlie  wise  conclu- 
sion, like  one  of  old,  that  it  was  not  mete 
to  be  any  longer  alone,  took  occasion  to 
reveal  the  secret  of  his  resolvcis  to  one  of 
the  women  who  accompanied  the  army. 
Patience  Bickerstaff,  the  name  of  his 
lady-love,  though  somewhat  in  the  down- 
hill of  life,  whom  he  had  but  seen  to 
admire  and  attempt  to  win,  with  the  same 
good  freedom  of  her  wooer,  unhesitatingly 


ADVENTURES   OF   WILLIAM   BURBRIDGE.    267 

conte^seii  herself  tlie  won ;  and  instantly 
agreed  to  become  the  partner  of  life's  toils 
with  him,  and  to  accompany  the  hunter  to 
his  secluded  abode. 

Accordingly,  Burbridge,  after  having 
procured  from  the  homeward-bound 
soldiers  a  keg  of  whiskey,  in  exchange  for 
some  venison,  which  his  faithful  rifle 
never  allowed  him  to  be  in  want  of,  he 
proceeded  with  it  under  one  arm,  and  his 
good  bride  at  the  other,  to  his  cabin  in 
the  remote  forests. 

The  history  of  this  couple  may  be  con- 
sidered as  instructive  as  amusing.  It  fur- 
nishes a  specimen  of  life  not  uncommon 
at  that  period  in  the  backwoods.  We  will 
therefore  follow  them  to  their  home  and 
accomi)any  them  in  their  subsequent 
wanderings. 

Happy,  doubtless,  were  the  thrice 
pleased  pair  in  their  obscure  retreat,  far 
from  the  cares  and  turmoils  of  bustling 
life ;  with  plenty  of  good  venison  and 
better  old  rye  at  their  command.  Here, 
at  any  rate,  almost  unheard  of,  for  somo 


268     ADVENTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE. 

time  they  remained.  And  if  happiness 
were  not  their's,  it  was  not  because  they 
were  displeased  with  themselves  or  the 
life  they  had  chosen. 

However,  after  a  time  the  settlements 
began  to  approach ;  and  of  a  still  morn- 
ing the  sound  of  the  forest-felling  axe 
could  be  heard  at  a  distance.  And  never 
perhaps  did  the  hated  harbinger  of 
appi'oaching  civilization  fall  upon  the 
Indian's  ear  with  more  unwelcomeness. 
A  few  months  had  but  passed  and  the  lands 
on  the  creek  above  and  below  Burbridge's 
cabin  began  to  be  taken  up,  as  it  was 
called,  and  the  solitary  hunter  iound  him- 
self no  longer  alone,  when  on  an  excur- 
sion through  the  pathless  woods. 

As  most  of  the  settlers  of  this  period, 
like  Burbridge,  were  rather  hunters  than 
cultivators  of  the  soil,  he  found  among 
those  he  occasionally  met  with,  spirits  not 
uncongenial,  who  afterwards  became  his 
companions,  and  too  much  like  himself, 
were  fonder  of  pursuing  the  track  of  a 
deer,  or  testing  their  skill  with  the  rifle  at 


ADVENTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE.  269 

a  target,  than  making  an  industrious 
effort  at  a  settlement.  The  latter  pastime 
was  often  resorted  to,  while  the  point  at 
is^ue  could  seldom  be  settled.  Accord- 
ingly it  happened  a  day  for  a  general  trial 
of  their  skill  was  appointed.  Burb ridge 
had  recently  become  the  owner  of  a  new 
silver-mounted  rifle,  of  which  he  was  very 
jn-oud,  not  merely  because  it  was  of  hand- 
some make,  but  of  unerring  aim.  This 
rifle,  in  the  hands  of  its  practised  owner, 
won  the  prize  from  the  competitors  on  the 
day  that  had  been  fixed  for  the  trial  of 
their  skill. 

Among  those  who  contended  for  the 
reward  of  being  called  the  "  best  shot," 
was  a  fiiendly  Indian,  known  by  the 
English  name  of  Jim  Compass.  He  had 
known  but  little  of  Burbridge,  but  now  on 
a  closer  acquaintance,  pretended  to  be 
much  pleased  with  him ;  while  he  per- 
haps was  better  pleased  with  his  rifle. 
Ui^on  Burbridge  leaving  for  home,  the 
Indian  propo-ed  to  accompany  and  spend 

a  few  days  with   him  hunting,  which  waa 

2a* 


270  ADVENTURES    OF   WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE. 

readily  assented  to,  and  they  became  com 
panions. 

One  morning  the  call  of  a  turkey  was 
heard  down  the  creek  some  distance 
below  the  cabin.  The  two  proposed  to 
proceed  cautiously  down  the  bank  and 
kill  it.  When  at  souie  distance  on  the 
way,  and  approaching  the  bank  where  it 
overlooked  the  stream,  the  Indian  sud- 
denly halted  and  pretended  to  direct  the 
attention  of  Burbridge  to  some  water-fowl, 
which  he  alleged  were  in  the  creek  imme- 
diately under  the  bank,  before  them. 
Both,  with  their  guns  in  a  position  ready 
to  lire,  softly  neared  the  brow  of  tlie 
bank.  Burbrido:e  was  foremost,  and  tlie 
moment  his  atteution  was  thus  directed, 
the  Indian  treacberously  discharged  his 
gun  and  shot  him  through  the  back. 
Fatally  wounded,  but  not  killed,  he  fell  to 
the  earth,  and  instantly  comprehending 
the  treacherv  of  the  act,  directed  his  ride 
as  he  partly  lay,  towards  the  Indian,  with 
the  determination  to  despatch  him.  But 
the  Indian  dropj)ing  his  own  gun  sprang 


JIM   COMPASS, 


(271) 


ADVENTURES    OF    TTILLIAM    BURBRIDGE.  273 

behind  a  tree,  a  few  steps  distant,  to  save 
himself  from  his  victim. 

The  secret  of  the  whole  was,  that  the 
Indian  wished  from  the  moment  he  had 
seen  Burbridge's  gun  to  become  the  pos- 
sessor of  it ;  and  had  made  himself  his 
companion  expressly  to  await  an  oppor- 
tunity to  wrest  it  from  him.  However,  no 
chance  presenting  to  obtain  it  short 
of  taking  life,  the  treacherous  alternative, 
at  length,  was  determined  upon,  and  com- 
mitted in  the  manner  just  related. 

The  situation  of  the  two  was  now 
curiouslv  interesting:.  The  wounded  hun- 
ter  unable  to  rise  to  his  feet  or  crawl  from 
the  spot  in  which  he  lay,  sedulously 
beseiged  the  Indian  behind  the  tree.  His 
uncharged  gun  lay  between  him  and  Bur- 
bridge,  and  he  dared  not  either  venture 
to  recover  it,  or  attempt  to  escape  f^-oui 
the  tree,  for  the  unerring  rifle  which  he 
attempted  to  obtain,  by  his  cowardly  (  on- 
duct,  was  still  pointed  towards  him  by  he 
unfortunate,  but  yet  unnerved,  huntei 

Xight   came,  but    with    it   broucrht    rio 


274    ADVEXTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE. 

return  of  Burbridge  or  the  Indian  to  the 
l(jnely  cabin,  where  Patience  Bickerstai! 
tbiind  herself  the  sole  occupant.  Two 
days  and  two  nights  more  elapsed,  and 
still  she  received  no  tidings  of  her  hunter- 
husband. 

She  had  heard  the  report  of  the  rifle  a 
short  distance  down  the  creek,  directly 
after  the  two  had  left  in  pursuit  of  the 
turkey;  and  now  judging  that  some 
accident  might  have  happened,  concluded 
to  2:0  down  the  bank  on  search.  To  her 
great  sorrow  and  distress  she  came  upon 
Burbridge  where  he  lay,  still  alive,  though 
nearly  famished  with  hunger  and  worn 
down  with  exposure. 

The  Indian,  though  enabled  to  escape 
from  his  unpleasant  situation  at  the  return 
of  nisiiht,  still  linp:ered  around  till  the 
wasted  strength  of  Burbridge  allowed 
resistance  no  longer,  when  the  rifle  was 
^aken,  and  he  fled  from  the  neighborhood 
with  it. 

Burbridge  related  the  fatal  circum- 
Btance  in  a  few  words  to  liis  sympathizing 


ADYEXTURF.S    01    WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE.    27'^ 

lielp-mate.  Wliile  she  remained  at  his 
side,  a  number  of  land-johhers  came  by  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  creek.  Patience 
hailed  them  for  assistance,  and  they  came 
over  and  bore  the  almost  expiring  hunter 
to  his  humble  cabin,  where  he  died  in  a 
few  days. 

The  faithful  Patience  Bickerstaff  was 
now  alone.  But  there  were  more  hunters 
in  the  neighborhood  than  the  one  she  had 
buried;  with  not  a  few  of  them  she  had 
become  acquainted.  For  one  of  these  a 
manifest  predilection  was  early  evident, 
and  the  worthy  Patience  was  soon  again 
entitled  to  the  romantic  distinction  of 
hunter's  bride. 

A  brother  of  the  deceased  Burbridge 
appeared  in  the  neighborhood  about  this 
time,  and  as  the  lands  were  principally 
surveyed  and  claimed,  they  were  looked 
upon  as  worth  sometliing.  The  biother, 
Thomas,  by  name,  therefore,  became  the 
proper  claimant  of  the  tract  on  which 
Patience    with    her    new    husband    still 


276    ADVENTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURB RIDGE. 

resided,  and    accordingly  commenced    an 
occupancy  of  it. 

Patience  Bickerstaff  and  her  husband 
now  concluded  to  remove  out  to  Forbes' 
road,  and  there  keep  public  house ;  as 
that  thorouirhfare  to  the  western  countrv 
began  to  offer  some  inducement  to  pre- 
pare entertainment  for  emigrants  and 
travellers  that  already  passed  along  it. 

Accordinsilv  a  cabin  was  erected  at 
the  road-side,  and  a  keo:  of  whiskey  pro- 
cured.  And  that  the  weary  wayfarer 
miiiht  not  pass  (he  hospitable  abode 
uninformed  of  its  objects,  a  broad  dap- 
hoard  was  pinned  above  the  door  on  the 
oatside,  on  which  was  written  with  keel, 
in  large  letters,  the  welcoming  insigm 
of  "  Entertainmext." 

Thomas  Biirbridfre  beino:  an  old  bache- 
lor,  and,  like  what  his  brother  had  been. 
a  hunter,  cared  little  about  the  improve- 
ment of  the  land.  Befoie  he  had  been 
long  an  occupant  of  the  dilapidated  cabin 
a  family  appeared  in  the  neighborhood 
m  pursuit  of  land,  to  whom  Thomas  made 


24 


SCENE   AT    BICKERSTAFF   TATERN. 


(277) 


ADVENTURES    OF    WILLIAM    BURBRIDGE.    279 

a  sale.  The  conditions  of  which  show,  at 
least,  the  trifling  value  which  was  set 
upon  land  at  that  i:)eriod.  They  were, 
that  the  purdiaser  should  lodge  Buibridge 
in  his  family  during  his  life,  for  the  con- 
sideration of  a  full  and  entire  right  to  the 
tract  of  land,  and  a  sullficient  supply  of 
venison  and  wild  meat  for  the  family, 
which  Burbridge  was  to  procuie  by  way 
of  pastime. 

The  purchaser's  name  was  Samuel  Craig. 
One  of  his  sons.  Captain  John  Craig, 
an  old  rcvoliitiont'i',  was  recently  living, 
and  resided  near  Frce})ort,  in  Arm- 
strong county,  Pennsylvania.  Though  far 
descended  in  the  vale  of  life,  being  nearly 
an  hundred  vears  old,  this  excellent  old 
gentleman  with  his  lighted  pipe  in  his 
hand,  his  constant  companion,  never 
failed  to  entertain  with  considerable 
viviicity,  those  ^vho  called  upon  him  'or 
a  narration  of  the  "  tales  of  other  days." 


'  The  Indians  liave  attacked  Mr.  Stuart's 
hovse,  burnt  it,  and  carried  his  family  into 
captivity!"  were  the  first  words  of  a 
breathless  woodman  as  he  rushed  into  a 
block-house  of  a  village  in  Western  New 
York,  during  one  of  the  early  border  wars. 
"  Up,  up — a  dozen  men  should  have  been 
on  the  trail  two  hours  ago," 

''  God  help  us !"  said  one  of  the  group, 

a  bold   frank   forester,  and   with    a   face 

whiter  than   ashes,  he  leaned  against  the 

wall  gasping  for  breath.     Every  eye  was 

turned  on  him  with  sympathy,  for  he  and 
(280) 


THE    INDIAN    TRAIL.  281 

Mr.  Stuart's  only  daughter,  a  lovely  girl 
of  seventeen,  were  to  be  married  in  a  few 
days. 

The  bereaved  father  was  universallv  re- 
spec  ted.  He  was  a  man  of  great  benevo- 
lence of  heart,  and  of  some  property,  and 
resided  on  a  mill-seat  he  owned,  about  two 
miles  from  the  village.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  his  eldest  daughter  and  three 
children.  He  had  been  from  home,  so  the 
runner  said,  when  his  house  was  attacked, 
nor  had  his  neighbors  any  intimation  of 
the  catastrophe,  until  the  light  of  the 
burning  tenements  awakened  the  sus- 
picions of  a  settler,  who  was  a  mile  nearer 
the  village  than  Mr.  Stuart,  and  who  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  flames,  found  the 
house  and  mills  in  ruins,  recognized  the 
feet  of  females  and  children  on  the  trail 
of  Indians.  He  hurried  instantly  to  the 
fort,  and  was  the  individual  who  now 
stood  breathlessly  narrating  the  events 
which  we  in  fewer  words  have  detailed. 

The  alarm  spread  through  the  village 
like  a  fire   spreads  in  a  swamp  after  a 

24* 


282  THE   INDIAN   TRAIL. 

drought,  and  before  the  speaker  had 
finished  his  story,  the  little  block-house 
was  filled  with  eager  and  sympathizing 
faces.  Several  of  the  inhabitants  had 
brought  their  rifles,  and  others  now 
hurried  home  to  arm  themselves.  The 
young  men  of  the  settlement  gathered, 
to  a  man,  around  Henry  Leper,  the 
betrothed  husband  of  Mary  Stuart;  and 
though  few  words  were  spoken,  the 
earnest  grasp  of  the  hand,  and  the  accom- 
panying looks,  assured  him  that  his 
friends  keenly  felt  for  him,  and  were 
ready  to  follow  him  to  the  world's  end. 
That  party  was  about  to  set  forth,  when 
a  man  was  seen  hurriedly  running  up  the 
road  from  the  direction  of  the  desolated 
home. 

"  It  is  Mr.  Stuart !"  said  one  of  the 
oldest  of  the  group,  "  stand  back,  and  let 
him  come  in." 

The  men  parted  right  and  left  from  the 
doorway,  and  immediately  the  father 
entered,  the  neighbors  bowing  respect- 
fully to  him  as  he  passed.     He  scarcely 


THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 


285 


retiirnea  their  salutation,  but  advancing 
direct!}^  to  his  intended  son-in-law,  the 
two  niiitually  fell  into  each  other's  arms. 
The  spectators,  not  washing  to  intrude  on 
tlie  privacy  of  their  grief,  turned  their 
faces  away  with  that  instinctive  delicacy 
which  is  nowhere  to  be  found  more  often 
than  among  those  who  are  thought  to  be 
rude  borderers ;  but  they  heard  sobs  and 
they  knew  that  the  heart  of  the  usually 
collected  Mr.  Stuart  must  be  fearfully 
agitated. 

"My  friends,"  said  he,  at  length — "this 
is  kind;  I  see  you  know^  my  loss,  and  are 
ready  to  march  with  me !  God  bless  you !" 
He  could  sav  no  more,  for  he  was  choked 
with  emoti(m. 

"  Stay  back,  father,"  said  young  Leper, 
usino:  for  the  first  time  a  name  which  in 
that  moment  of  desolation  carried  SAveet 
comfort  to  the  parent's  heart  "you  cannot 
bear  the  fatigue  as  well  as  me — death 
only  w^ill  prevent  us  from  bringing  back 
Maiy." 

"I  know  it — I  know  it,  my  son — but  I 


286  THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 

cannot  slay  here  in  suspense.  No,  I  will 
g;)  witli  you,  I  have  to-day  the  strength  of 
a  dozen  men!" 

Tlie  fathers  who  were  tliere  nodded  in 
assent,  and  nothing  further  was  said,  but 
hnniediately  the  party,  as  if  by  one 
impulse,  set  fortli. 

There  was  no  difficulty  in  finding  the 
trail  of  the  Indians,  al  ng  which  the  pur- 
suers advanced  v^'ith  a  s]^eed  incredible  to 
those  unused  to  forest  life,  and  the  result 
of  long  and  severe  discipline.  But  rapid 
as  their  inarch  was,  iioiir  after  hour 
elapsed  without  any  signs  of  savages, 
though  evidence  that  they  passed  the 
route  a  while  before,  was  continually  met. 
The  sun  rose  high  above  the  heavens 
until  he  stood  above  the  tree-tops,  then 
he  began  slowly  to  decline,  and  at  length 
his  slant  beams  could  scarcely  penetrate 
the  forest;  yet  there  was  no  appeai-ance 
of  the  Indians,  and  the  hearts  of  the 
pursuers  began  to  despond.  Already  the 
pursuit  was  useless,  for  iho  boundaries 
uf    the    settlers'  district    had    long    been 


THE    INDIAN    TKAIL.  28^) 

passed ;  they  were  in  the  very  "heart  of 
the  savages'  country;  and  by  this  time 
the  Indians  had  probably  reached  their 
village.  Tet,  v>'hen  the  older  men,  who 
ah)ne  would  venture  to  suggest  a  return, 
looked  at  the  father  or  the  intended  son- 
in-law,  young  Leper,  they  could  only 
utter  the  words  which  would  carry 
despair  to  two  almost  breaking  hearts, 
and  so  the  march  was  continued.  But 
night  drew  on,  and  one  of  the  elders 
spoke : 

"There  seems  to  be  no  hope,"  he  said, 
stopping  and,  resting  his  rifle  on  the 
ground,  "  we  are  far  from  our  families, 
What  would  become  of  the  villaiie.  if  at- 
tacked  in  our  absence  ?" 

This  was  a  question  that  went  to  every 
heart,  and  by  one  consent  the  pai'ty 
stopped,  and  many,  especially  of  the 
older  ones,  took  a  step  or  two  involun- 
tarily homewards.  Tlie  fatlier  and  3'Oung 
Leper  looked  at  eacli  oilier  in  mute 
despair. 

"You    are    light,    Jenkins."   said    the 

25 


290  THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 

vouiig:  man,  at  lena'th.  "  It  is  selfish  in 
us  to  lead  voii  so  far  a^A'av  from  home 
on" — and  here  for  an  instant  he  choked — 
*'  on  perhaps  a  fruitless  errand.  Go 
back;  we  thank  you  for  having  come 
so  far.  But  as  for  me,  my  way  lies 
ahead,  even  if  it  leads  into  the  very 
heart  of  an  Indian  village." 

"And  I  will  follow  you!"  "And  I  !'^ 
exclaimed  a  dozen  voices ;  for  darins:,  in 
moments  like  these,  carried  the  day 
against  cooler  counsels,  and  the  young 
to  a  man,  sprang  to  Leper's  side. 

Even  the  old  men  were  affected  by 
the  contagidu.  They  were  torn  by  con- 
flicting emotions,  no»v  thinking  of  their 
wives  and  little  ones  behind,  and  now 
reminded  of  the  suffering  captives  before. 

Thev  still  fluctuated,  when  one  of  the 
young  men  exclaimed  in  a  low  voice — 

"  See  !  there  they  are !"  and  as  jio 
spoke  he  j)ointed  to  a  thin  column  of 
lifrht  ascending  in  the  twilio-ht  above 
the  tree-tops,  from  the  bottom  of  the 
valley  lying  immediately  beyond  them. 


THE    INDIAN    TRAIL.  29 J 

"On  them,  on,"  said  Jenkins,  now  tho 
Crst  to  move  ahead;  "but  silently,  for 
the  slightest  noise  will  ruin  our  hopes." 

Oh,  how  the  father's  heart  thrilled  at 
these  words!  The  evident  belief  of  his 
neighbors  in  the  uselessness  of  further 
pursuits,  had  wrung  his  heart,  and  with 
Leper  he  had  resolved  to  go  unaided, 
though  meantime  he  had  watched  with 
intense  anxiety  the  proceedings  of  the 
councils,  for  he  knew  that  two  men,  or 
even  a  dozen,  would  probably  be  insuffi- 
cient to  rescue  the  captives.  But  when 
his  eyes  caught  the  distant  light,  hope 
rushed  wildly  back  over  his  heart.  "With 
the  next  minute  he  was  foremost  in  the 
line  of  pursuers,  apparently  the  coolest 
and  most  cautious  of  all. 

AYith  a  noiseless  tread  the  borderers 
proceeded  untill  they  were  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  encamped  Indians,  whom 
they  discovered  through  the  avenue  of 
trees,  as  the  fire  flashed  up  when  now  and 
then  a  fresh  brand  was  thrown  upon  it. 
Stealthily  creeping   forward   a  few  paces 


292  THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 

further,  they  discerned  the  captive  girl 
with  her  two  little  brothers  and  three 
sisters,  bound,  a  short  distance  from  the 
group;  and  at  the  si.iiht,  the  fear  of  the 
father  lest  some  of  his  little  ones,  unable 
to  keep  up  in  the  hasty  tlight,  had  been 
tomahawked,  irave  wav  to  a  thrill  of 
indescribable  joy.  He  and  Jenkins  were 
now  by  common  consent  looked  on  as 
the  leaders  of  the  party.  He  j^aused  to 
Count  the  group. 

"Twenty-five  in  all,''  he  said,  in  a  low 
whisper.  "  We  can  take  off  a  third  at 
least  with  one  fire,  and  then  rusli  in  on 
them,"  and  he  looked  to  Jenkins  who 
nodded  approvingly. 

In  hurried  whispering  the  plan  of 
attack  was  regulated,  each  having  an 
Indian  assianed  to  his  ritie.  Durins: 
this  brief  pause  every  heart  trembled 
lest  the  accidental  cracklins:  of  a  twis;, 
or  a  tone  spoken  unadvisedly  above  a 
whisper,  should  attract  the  attention  of 
the  sava2;es.  Suddenlv,  before  all  was 
arranged,  one  of  them  sprang  to  his  feet, 


THE    INDIAN    TRAIL.  293 

and  looked  susjDiciously  in  the  direction 
of  our  little  party.  At  the  same  instant, 
another  sprung  toward  the  prisoners,  and, 
with  eyes  fixed  on  the  place  where  the 
pursuers  lay,  held  his  tomahawk  above 
the  startled  girl,  as  if  to  strike  the 
instant  anv  demonstrations  of  hostilities 
should  appear. 

The  children  clung  to  their  sister's 
side  with  stitied  cries.  The  moment  was 
critical ;  if  the  proxiuiity  of  the  pursuers 
was  suspected  theii'  discovery  would  be 
the  result.  To  wait  until  each  man 
had  his  victim  assio-ned  liim,  miG:ht 
prove  ruinous ;  to  fire  prematurely  might 
be  equally  so.  But  Leper  forgot  every 
consideration  in  the  peril  of  Maiy,  and 
almost  at  the  instant  when  the  occuu- 
rences  we  have  related  were  taking  place, 
took  aim  at  the  sava2;e  standing  over 
his  betrothed  and  fired.  The  Indian  fell 
dead. 

Immediately  a  yell    rang   through   the 

forest — the  savages  leaped  to  their  arms, 

a    few   dashed    into    the   thicket,   others 

25* 


294  THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 

rushed  on  the  prisoners,  the  most  saga- 
cious retreating  behind  trees.  Bat  on 
that  whoop  a  dozen  rifles  rang  in  the  air, 
and  half  a  score  of  the  assailed  fell  to  the 
earth,  while  the  borderers  breaking  from 
the  thicket,  with  uplifted  tomahawks, 
came  to  the  rescue. — A  wild  hand-to-hand 
conflict  ensued,  in  which  nothing  could  be 
seen  except  the  ligures  of  the  combatants, 
rolling  together  among  the  whirling 
leaves;  nothing  heard  but  angry  shouts, 
and  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and 
dying.  In  a  few  minutes  the  borderers 
were   victorious. 

Leper  had  been  the  first  to  enter  the 
field. — Two  stout  savages  dashed  at  him 
with  swinging  tomahawks,  but  the  knife 
of  Leper  found  the  heart  of  one,  and  the 
other  fell  stunned  by  a  blow  from  the  butt 
end  of  his  father's  rifle,  who  folloAved  his 
intended  son-in-law  a  step  or  two  behind. 
A  second's  delay  would  have  been  too  late. 

Fortunately,  none  of  the  assailants 
were  killed,  though  several  were  seriously 
wounded. — The  suddenness  of  the  attack 


THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 


295 


may  account  for  the  comparative  immiinity 
which  thev  enioved. 

How  shall  we  describe  the  gratitude 
with  which  the  father  kissed  his  rescued 
childi'en  ?  How  shall  we  tell  the  rapture 
with  which  Leper  clasped  his  affianced 
bride  to  his  bosom  ?  We  feel  our  inca- 
pacity for  the  task  and  drop  a  veil  over 
emotions  too  holy  for  exposure.  But  many 
a  stout  borderer  wept  at  the  sight. 


One  of  the  most  remarkable  pioneer 
fights,  in  the  history  of  the  West,  was  that 
waged  by  Captain  James  Estill,  and 
seventeen  of  his  associates,  on  the  22d 
March,  1782,  with  a  party  of  Wyandot 
Indians,  twenty-live  in  number.  Sixty- 
three  years  almost  have  elapsed  since ; 
yet  one  of  the  actors  in  that  sanguinary 
struggle,  Rev.  Joseph  Proctor,  of  Estill 
county,  Ky.,  survived  to  the  2d  December, 
1844,  dying  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  his 
faculties  in  the  90th  year  of  his  age.     His 

wife,  the  partner  of  his  early  privations 

(296) 


E:rTILL'b    DEFEAT.  297 

and  toils,  and  nearly  as  old  as   himself, 
deceased  six  months  previously. 

On  the  19th  March,  1782,  Indian  rafts, 
without  any  one  on  them,  were  seen  Hoat- 
ing  down  the  Kentucky  river,  past  l^.oons- 
boroui'h.  Intelliixence  of  this  fact  was 
immediately  dispatched  by  Col.  Logan 
to  Capt.  Estill,  at  his  station  fifteen  miles 
from  Boonsborough,  and  near  the  present 
site  of  Kichmond,  Kentucky,  together  with 
a  force  of  fifteen  men,  who  were  directed 
to  march  from  Lincoln  county  to  Estil's 
assistance,  instructing  Captain  Estill,  if 
the  Lidians  had  not  appeared  there,  to 
scour  the  country  with  a  reconnoitring 
party,  as  it  could  not  be  known  at  what 
point  the  attack  would  be  made. 

Estill  lost  not  a  moment  in  collecting  a 
force  to  go  in  search  of  the  savages ;  not 
doubting,  from  his  knowledge  of  the 
Indian  character,  that  they  designed  an 
immediate  blow^  at  his  or  some  neighboring 
station.  From  his  own  and  the  nearest 
stations  he  raised  twenty-five  men. 

Whilst   Captain    Estill   and    his    men 


298  estill's  defeat. 

were  on  this  expedition,  the  Indians 
suddenly  appeared  around  his  station  at 
the  dawn  of  day,  on  the  20th  of  March, 
killed  and  scalped  Miss  Innes,  daughter 
of  Captain  Innes,  and  took  Munk,  a  slave 
of  Captain  Estill,  captive.  The  Indians 
immediately  and  hastily  retreated,  in  con- 
sequence of  a  highly  exaggerated  account 
which  Ma  Ilk  gave  them  of  the  strength 
of  the  station,  and  number  of  fighting 
men  in  it. 

Ko  sooner  had  the  Indians  com- 
menced their  retreat,  than  the  women 
in  the  fort  (the  men  being  all  absent, 
except  one  on  the  sick  list)  dispatched 
two  bovs,  the  late  Gen.  Samuel  South  and 
Peter  Hackett,  to  take  the  trail  of  Capt. 
Estill  and  his  men,  and  on  overtaking 
them,  Q;ive  them  information  of  what  had 
occurred  at  the  fort.  The  boys  succeeded 
in  coming  up  with  Cai)t.  Estill  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  21st,  between  the 
mouths  of  Downing  Creek  and  Eed  River. 

After  a  short  search,  Capt.  Estill's  par.y 
struck  the  tiaii  of  the  retreating  Indiac  ' 


SLAUGHTER    OF    jnSS    IKNBS. 


(299) 


Estill's  defeat.  301 

It  was  resolved  at  once  to  mal^e  pursuit, 
and  no  time  was  lost  in  doing  so.  Five 
men  of  the  party,  however,  who  had 
families  in  the  fort,  feeling  uneasy  for 
their  safety  and  unwilling  to  trust  their 
defence  to  the  few  who  remained  there, 
returned  to  the  fort,  leaving  Captain 
Estill's  party,  thirty-five  in  number. 
These  pressed  the  pursuit  of  the  retreat- 
ing Indians,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  but 
night  coming  on  they  encamped  near  the 
Little   Mountain,  now   Mount   Sterhng. 

Early  next  morning  they  quickly  pushed 
forward,  being  obliged  to  leave  ten  of 
the  men  behind,  whose  horses  were  too 
jaded  to  travel  further.  They  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  until  they  discovered  by  fresh 
tracks  of  the  Lidians,  that  they  were  not 
far  distant.  They  then  marched  in  four 
lines  until  about  an  hour  before  sunset, 
when  they  discovered  six  of  the  savages 
helping  themselves  to  rations  from  the 
body  of  a  bufi'alo,  which  they  had  killed. 
The  company  was   ordered  to  dismount. 

With    the    usual    impetuosity    of     Keu- 

26 


302  Estill's  defeat. 

tuckians,  some  of  the  party  fired  without 
regarding  orders,  and  the  Indians  fled. 
One  of  the  party,  a  Mr.  David  Cook,  who 
acted  as  ensign,  excised ingly  ardent  and 
active  had  proceeded  in  advance  of  the 
company  and  seeing  an  Indian  halt,  raised 
his  gun  and  fired.  At  that  same  moment 
another  Indian  crossed  on  the  opposite  side, 
and  they  were  both  levelled  with  the  same 
shot.  This  occurring  in  view  of  the 
whole  company,  inspired  them  all  with 
a  high  degree  of  ardor  and  confidence. 
In  the  meantime,  the  main  body  of  the 
Indians  had  heard  the  alarm  and  re- 
turned, and  the  two  hostile  parties  exactly 
matched  in  point  of  numbers,  having 
twentv-five  on  each  side,  were  now  face 
to  face.  The  ground  was  highly  favorable 
to  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare ;  but  Capt. 
Estill  and  his  men,  without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  boldly  and  fearlessly  com- 
menced an  attack  upon  them,  and  the 
latter  as  boldly  and  fearlessly  (for  they 
were  picked  warriors)  engaged  in  the 
bloody  combat.     It  is,  however,  disgrace- 


Estill's  defeat.  303 

ful  to  relate  that,  at  the  very  onset  of  the 
action,  Lieut.  Miller,  of  Capt.  Estill's 
pai-ty,  with  six  men  under  his  command, 
'ingloriously  fled"  from  the  field,  thereby 
placing  in  jeopardy  the  whole  of  their  com- 
rades, and  causing  the  death  of  many  brave 
soldiers.  Hence,  Estill's  party  numbered 
eighteen,  and  the  Wyandots  twenty-five. 

The  flank  becoming  thus  unprotected, 
Capt.  Estill  directed  Cook  with  thi-ee  men 
to  occupy  ^Idler's  station,  and  repel  the 
attack  in  that  quarter,  to  which  this  base 
act  of  cowardice  exposed  the  whole  party. 
The  Ensign  and  his  party  were  taking  the 
position  assigned,  when  one  of  them  dis- 
covered an  Indian  and  shot  him,  and  the 
three  retreated  to  a  little  eminence  whence 
they  thought  greater  execution  could  be 
effected  with  less  danger  to  themselves, 
but  Cook  continued  to  advance  without 
noticing  the  absence  of  his  party  until  he 
had  discharged  his  gun  with  eftect,  when 
he  immediately  retreated,  but  after  running 
some  distance  to  a  large  tree  for  the  pur- 
pose of  shelter  in  firing,  he  unfortunately 


304  Estill's  defeat. 

got  entangled  in  the  tops  of  fallen  timber 
and  halting  for  a  moment,  received  a  ball 
which  struck  him  just  below  the  shoulder- 
blade,  and  came  out  below  his  collar  bone. 

In  the  meantime,  on  the  main  field  of 
battle,  at  the  distance  of  fifty  yards,  the 
fight  raged  with  great  fury,  lasting  one 
hour  and  three  quarters.  On  either  side 
wounds  and  death  were  inflicted,  neither 
party  advancing  nor  retreating. — "  Eveiy 
man  to  his  man,  and  every  man  to  his 
tree."  Capt.  Estill  at  this  period  was 
covered  with  blood  from  a  wound  received 
early  in  the  action  ;  nine  of  his  brave  com- 
panions lay  dead  u[)on  the  field ;  and  four 
others  were  so  disabled  by  their  wounds,  as 
to  be  unable  to  continue  the  fight.  Capt. 
Estill's  fighting  men  were  now  reduced  to 
four.  Among  this  number  was  Joseph 
Proctor. 

Capt.  Estill,  the  brave  leader  of  this 
Spartan  band,  was  now  brought  into  per- 
sonal conilict  with  a  i)0\verful  and  active 
Wyandot  wairior.  -The  contlict  was  for  a 
time    fierce    and    desperate,    and    keenly 


CAPTAIN    TSTllA^ 


26* 


(805) 


fstill's  dkfeat.  307 

dad  anxioasly  watched  by  Proctor  vvitli 
his  finger  on  the  trigger  of  his  uner- 
ring ritle.  Such,  however,  was  the 
struggle  between  these  tierce  and  power- 
ful warriors,  that  Proctor  could  not  shoot 
without  greatly  endangering  the  safety  of 
his  captain.  Estill  had  had  his  right 
ai'm  broken  the  preceding  summer  in  an 
engagement  with  the  Indians ;  and,  in 
the  conflict  with  the  warrior  on  this  occa- 
sion, that  arm  gave  way,  and  in  an  instant 
his  savage  foe  buried  his  knife  in  Captain 
Estill's  breast;  but  at  the  very  same 
moment,  the  brave  Pi'octor  sent  a  ball 
from  his  rifle  to  the  Wvandot's  heart. 
The  survivors  then  drew  off  as  by  mutual 
consent. — Thus  ended  this  memorable 
battle.  It  wanted  nothing  but  the  cir- 
cuuistauce  of  numbers  to  make  it  the 
most  memorable  in  ancient  or  modern 
limes.  The  loss  of  the  Indians,  in  killed 
and  wounded,  notwithstanding  the  dis- 
parity of  numbers  after  the  shameful 
retreat  of  Miller,  was  even  greater  than 
that  o{  Capt.  Estill. 


308  Estill's  defeat. 

It  was  afterwards  ascertained  by 
prisoners  who  were  recaptured  from  the 
"VYyandots,  that  seventeen  of  the  Indians 
had  been  killed  and  two  severely  wounded. 
This  battle  was  fought  on  the  same  day, 
with  the  disastrous  battle  of  the  Blue 
Licks,  March  22d,  1782. 

There  is  a  tradition  derived  from  the 
Wyandot  towns,  after  the  peace,  that  but 
one  of  the  warriors  engaged  in  this  battle 
ever  returned  to  his  nation. 

It  is  certain  tliat  the  chief  who  led  on 
the  Wjandots  with  so  much  desperation, 
fell  in  the  action.  Throughout  this  bloody 
engagement  the  coohiess  and  bravery  of 
Proctor  were  unsurpassed.  But  his  con- 
duct after  the  battle  has  always,  with 
those  acquainted  with  it,  elicited  the 
warmest  commendation.  He  brought  ofif 
the  held  of  battle,  and  most  of  the  way  to 
the  station,  a  distance  of  forty  miles  on 
his  back,  his  badly  wounded  friend,  the 
late  brave  Colonel  William  Irvine,  so  long 
and  so  favorably  known  in  Kentucky. 


Mr.  E.  E.  Williams  has  furnished  me 
with  some  interesting  notes  of  pioneer 
adventures.  He  has  been  an  old  hunter, 
supplying  not  only  liis  own  family,  but 
the  settlements  in  which  he  lived — Cin- 
cinnati among  the  rest, — with  venison 
and  bear  meat.  He  killed  the  last  butialo 
seen  in  Kentucky.  At  the  age  of  seventy- 
five   his   bodily  and   mental   powers   are 

unimpaired. 

(309) 


310      THE    PIONEER   AND    THE    PANTHER. 

Well,  said  this  old  veteran,  after 
finishing  his  statistics  of  Indian  warfare, 
and  in  reply  to  other  questions,  let  me 
tell  you  a  story  or  two  of  bears  and 
panthers. 

I  was  living  on  a  branch  of  Bigbone, 
called  Panther  Eun,  from  the  circum- 
stance to  this  day.  It  was  the  year  after 
I  had  been  out  with  General  Wayne.  I 
had  left  home  for  a  deer  hunt,  with  rifle, 
tomahawk,  and  butcher  knite  in  my  belt 
as  customary ;  and  scouring  about  the 
woods,  I  came  to  a  thick  piece  of  brush, 
in  short  a  perfect  thicket  of  hoop-poles.  I 
discovered  some  dreadful  growling  and 
scuffling  was  going  on,  by  the  sound, 
apparently  within  a  hundred  yards  or  so. 
I  crept  as  cautiously  and  silently  as  pos- 
sible through  the  thicket,  and  kept  on 
until  I  found  myself  within,  perhaps, 
twenty  steps  of  two  very  large  male 
panthers,  who  were  making  a  desperate 
light,  screaming,  spitting  and  yelling  like 
a  couple  of  ram  cats,  only  much  louder,  as 
you  may  guess. 


THE    PIONEER    AND    THE    PANTHER.       313 

.  At  last,  one  of  tlieni  seemed  to  have 
absolutely  killed  the  other,  for  he  lay 
quite  motionless.  This  was  what  I  had 
been  waiting  for,  and  while  the  other  was 
swinging  back  and  forwards  over  him  in 
triumph,  I  blazed  away,  but  owing  to  that 
motion,  I  shot  him  through  the  bulge  of 
the  ribs,  a  little  too  far  back  to  kill  him 
instantly. — They  are  a  very  hard  animal 
to  kill,  anyhow.  But  he  made  one  prodi- 
gious bound  through  the  bush  and  cleared 
himself  out  of  my  sight,  the  ground  where 
we  were  being  quite  broken  as  well  as 
sideling.  I  then  walked  up  to  the  other, 
mistrusting  nothing,  and  was  within  a 
yard  of  him,  when  he  made  one  spring  to 
his  feet  and  fastened  on  my  left  shoulder 
with  his  teeth  and  claws,  where  he  in- 
flicted several  deep  wounds. 

I  was  uncommonly  active  as  well  as 
stout  in  those  days,  and  I  feared  neither 
man  nor  mortal  in  a  scuffle,  but  I  had 
hard  work  to  keep  my  feet  under  the 
weight  of  such  a  beast.     I  had  my  knife 

out  in  an  instant,  and  put  it  into  him  as 

27 


314       THE    PIONEER    AND    THE    PANTHER. 

fast  as  possible  for  dear  life.  So  we  tus- 
sled away,  the  ground  being  sideling  and 
steep  at  that,  which  increased  my  trouble 
to  keep  from  falling ;  we  gradually  worked 
down-lull  till  I  was  forced  against  a  large 
log,  and  we  both  came  to  the  ground,  I 
inside  and  the  panther  outside  of  it,  he 
still  keeping  hold,  although  evidently 
weakening  under  the  repeated  digs  and 
rips  he  was  getting.  1  kept  on  knifing 
away  till  I  found  his  h(;l(l  slackening,  and 
he  let  go  at  last  to  my  great  rejoicin  ■. 

I  got  to  my  feet,  made  for  my  rifle, 
which  I  had  dropped  early  in  the  scuffle, 
got  it  and  ran  home.  1  gathered  the 
neighbors  with  their  dogs,  and  on  return- 
ing found  the  panthers  not  more  than 
fifteen  rods  apart;  the  one  I  had  knifed 
dying,  and  the  one  I  had  shot  making  an 
effort  to  climb  a  tree  to  the  height  of  eight 
or  ten  feet,  when  he  fell  and  was  speedily 
dispatched. 

Next  day  I  stripped  them  of  their  skins, 
which  I  sold  to  a  saddler  at  Lexing- 
ton for  two  dollars  a   piece.     You   ma» 


THE    PIONEER   AND    THE    PANTHER.       315 

depend,  I  never  got  into  such  a  grip  again 
with  a  panther. 

The  panther  referred  to  in  the  above 
story  is  different  from  the  African  panther. 
It  is  sometimes  called  by  the  hunters  a 
catamount.  The  naturalists  call  it  puma. 
It  is  a  large,  powerful  animal  of  the  cat 
kind,  not  spotted  like  the  African  panther, 
but  of  a  lead  color  above,  and  white  below. 
It  is  found  in  North  America,  and  the 
northern  part  of  South  America. 


I  HAVE  given  the  reader  a  panther  fight 
in  which  my  old  piuneer  friend  Wiliianis 
was  en2:ao;ed  some  fifty  vears  a2:o.  One 
or  two  adventures  with  bears,  which 
occurred  to  him  about  the  same  time,  will 
serve  at  once  to  diversify  this  narrative, 
and  afford  additional  light  on  the  modes 
of  living,  in  early  days  of  the  West.  I 
give  the  storv  almost  in  his  own  words. 

(316) 


THE  PIONEER  AND  THE  BEAR.     317 

My  wife  was  lying  at  home  in  her  con- 
finement with  her  second  child,  and  to 
lighten  our  cares  the  older  one,  about  two 
years  of  age,  had  to  be  taken  home  to  her 
grandmother's  who  lived  a  matter  of  two 
miles  off.  When  my  wife  was  able  to  be 
stirring  about  once  more,  I  went  over  to 
fetch  the  little  one,  and  was  returning 
with  it  in  my  arms  when  it  began  to 
cry,  and  I  was  so  busy  trying  to  quiet 
it,  that  I  hardly  noticed  at  first  the 
sound  of  steps  and  a  savage  growl- 
ing behind  me.  Turning  my  head 
around,  I  saw  a  great  he-bear,  one 
of  the  largest  I  ever  saw.  He  was 
then  within  a  rod  of  me.  As  1  turned, 
my  dog,  a  large  and  powerful  brute, 
part  bull,  part  greyhound,  turned  also; 
and  springing  at  the  bear  seized  him 
by  the  hind  leg,  to  check  his  progress 
and  favor  my  escape. 

I  made  tracks  with  all  the  speed  I 
could.  The  bear  would  turn  on  the 
dog,  when  the  dog  would   break  his  hold, 

and   the  bear  would   put  off  again  after 

2.7" 


B18     THE  PIONEER  AND  THE  BEAR. 

me.  Again  the  dog  would  lay  hold, 
and  the  bear  again  turn  on  him,  com- 
pelling him  to  let  go.  In  this  way  I 
was  gaining  on  him,  although  exces- 
sively tired,  being  obliged  to  carry  the 
child  at  arm's  length,  and  a  very  heavy 
one  it  was. 

The  child  cried  the  more  from  being 
held  in  so  awkward  a  position,  which 
made  the  bear  more  and  more  savage 
on  my  tracks.  At  last  I  came  in  where 
a  path  led  off  througli  the  brush  to  my 
home,  and  the  bear  being  intent  on 
keeping  off  the  dog,  passed  it  without 
notice,  and  I  got  home  safe.  I  gave 
the  child  to  its  mother,  and  taking  my 
rifle  dow^n,  started  out  after  the  old  ctiss. 

I  had  hardly  got  to  the  road  when 
I  met  my  dog  Tory,  as  I  called  him, 
breathless  and  bloody,  having  received 
some  pretty  severe  bruises  from  the 
bear.  He  refused  to  follow  me,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  give  up  the  bear-hunt 
for  that  time. 

Some    time     afterwards     one    of    the 

21* 


DOOS  AKD  THE  BKAB. 


(319) 


THE  PIONEER  AND  THE  BEAR.     321 

neighbors  reporting  he  had  seen  the 
bear  fasten  on  a  large  hog,  a  constant 
lookout  was  kept  for  him  in  the  settle- 
ment. I  was  out  one  evening  after 
deer,  when  I  discovered  by  the  smell 
that  carrion  was  in  the  neighborhood ; 
I  watched  the  crows  to  see  where  they 
would  light,  and  as  I  got  nearer  I  heard 
the  bear  growl,  having  been  absent  for 
water,  and  on  his  wav  back  to  the 
carcass.  As  soon  as  I  saw  hiui  I  took 
aim  and  fired,  hit  him  on  the  skull, 
tore  off  a  large  stripe  over  the  eye-brow 
and  while  he  lay  stunned,  ran  up  to 
him  within  a  few  feet,  fired  again, 
and  killed  him  on  the  spot.  This  bear 
had  been  a  nuisance  to  the  neighborhood 
for  three  years,  having  killed  in  that 
space  of  time  between  seventy-five 
and  one  hundred  head  of  hogs,  big  and 
little,  besides  other  domestic  animals, 
some  fine   calves   amono:   the   rest. 

At  another  time  I  was  out  hunting; 
one  dav,  and  came  on  the  tracks  of  a 
large      bear.      A     light    snow     on     the 


322  THE    PIONEER    AND    THE    BEAR. 

ground  enabled  me  to  follow  it  up 
readily,  which  I  did  for  about  half  a 
mile  to  a  large  oak,  up  which  at  about 
thirty-five  feet  high  there  was  a  hole 
sizable  enough  to  let  the  bear  in. 
As  it  was  winter,  I  knew  that  it  would 
stay  there  some  time  if  undisturbed, 
and  went  home  to  gather  some  of  the 
neighbors  for  the  hunt.  So  a  few  days 
after,  I  got  two  of  them,  Alexander 
Herrington  and  Eichard  Shorit,  with 
their  dogs.  One  of  the  men  had  a 
rifle  and  the  other  an  axe.  We  found 
the  tree  too  large  and  otherwise  difficult 
to  climb,  being  for  thirty-five  feet  with- 
out a  limb ;  and  we  concluded  finally  to 
fell  a  small  beech  tree  against  it,  by 
which  we  could  climb  up  to  the  hole. 

This  was  accordingly  done,  and  it 
lodged  safely  against  the  oak.  I  built 
a  fire  to  make  chunks  to  throw  in  the 
hole,  and  proposed  to  the  men  to  go 
up  and  get  the  bear  out,  which  they 
both  refused  to  attempt.  I  was  unwill- 
ing  to   go   up   myself,    having   no  confi- 


THE  PIOXEER  AND  THE  BEAR.     323 

deuce  in  their  knowledge  of  hunting,  and 
fearing  they  would  miss  the  bear ;  but  see- 
ing there  was  no  other  way,  I  took  off  my 
mocasons  for  fear  of  slipping,  and  tying  a 
string  to  a  chunk  of  tire,  I  gave  my  rifle 
to  Herrington,  and  climbed  the  beech  which 
lay  very  steep  against  the  hollow  tree. 
When  I  got  to  the  hole  I  looked  in  very 
cautiously,  and  after  waving  the  chunk 
backwards  and  forwards  in  the  air,  to 
make  it  burn,  held  it  there,  as  a  light 
to  judge  the  depth  of  the  bear's  retreat. 
Seeing  nothing,  however,  I  dropped  the 
chunk,  which,  by  the  sound,  appeared 
to  fall  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  before  I 
heard  it  strike. 

Presently  the  bear  started  up  with  a 
grunt  like  an  old  sow  roused  from  her  lair, 
and  growling  awfully,  clambered  up,  snort- 
ing at  a  great  rate,  while  I  let  myself  down 
as  fast  as  possible  on  the  tree  by  which  1 
came  up.  The  bear,  on  getting  to  the 
hole,  began  to  poke  out  her  head  in  every 
direction  to  ascertain  who  and  how  many 
were  disturbing  her. 


324    THE  PIONEER  AND  THE  BEAR. 

I  called  out  to  Shorit  to  shoot  her 
in  the  sticking-place ;  but  he  having 
no  experience,  hit  her  en  the  nose,  which 
only  enraged  her  the  more,  and  down 
she  came,  butt  foremost,  winding  the 
tree  round  like  a  squirrel,  and  nearly 
as  fast,  letting  go  her  hold  when  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  earth.  As  soon  as 
she  came  to  the  ground,  two  of  the 
dogs  seized  her,  but  she  soon  crippled 
both.  Herrington  having  run  off  with 
my  rifle  as  soon  as  she  began  to  come 
down,  I  had  to  run  some  distance  before 
I  could  get  it  out  of  his  hands,  and 
when  I  did,  the  priming  had  got  wet 
by  his  carelessness,  and  the  gun  w^ould 
not  go  off.  I  then  seized  a  dead  limb 
by  way  of  hand-spike  and  banged  away 
at  the  bear  to  make  her  let  go  one  of 
the  dogs  which  she  was  killing  as  fast 
as  possible.  Two  or  three  blow^s  made 
her  let  go. 

The  creature  was  so  fat  and  cramped 
up  in  the  tree  that  she  could  hardly  move 
over  the  ground  at  first,  and  giving  the 


THE  PIOXKKR  AND  THE  BEAR.     325 

crippled  dogs  to  the  others  to  carry 
home,  seven  or  eight  miles,  I  ran  to 
where  I  had  hung  my  powder  horn,  and 
priming  afresh,  I  put  on  my  mocasons 
and  set  out  after  the  bear,  which  had, 
by  this  time,  got  considerable  of  a  start. 
I  run  it  ten  or  twelve  miles,  before  I 
caught  up,  which  I  did,  by  finding  the 
bear,  which  was  fat,  had  taken  to  a  large 
hollow  beech  tree  to  rest  herself,  where 
she  lay  in  the  crotch.  One  crack  of  the 
rifle  brought  her  down  lifeless.  I  then 
butchered  her,  took  the  entrails  out  and 
left  the  bear  on  its  belly,  spreading  out 
the  legs,  well  knowing  that  in  this  posi- 
tion, nothing  in  the  shape  of  wild  beasts 
would  molest  it  in  the  woods.  I  went 
home  very  tired.  Next  morning  my 
brother  and  I  took  horses  on  which  we 
carried  the  carcass  home 

It  weighed  three  hundred  and   eighty 
seven  pounds  when  dressed. 

I  have  killed  in  the  course  of  my  hunt- 
ing scrapes  rising  of  twenty  bears,  of 
which  these  were  the  two  largest. 

28 


326 


THE    PIONEER    AND    THE    BEAR. 


The  next  time  I  saw  Herrington  and 
Shorit,  I  told  them  never  to  go  hunting 
with  me,  or  I  might  be  tempted  to  serve 
them  as  I  had  done  the  bear,  and  up- 
braided them  with  their  cowardice,  which 
might  have  cost  me  my  life.  Shorit  was 
from  Pomfret,  Connecticut,  the  neigh- 
borhood where  Putnam  killed  the  wolf, 
and  excused  himself  by  saying,  he  would 
far  rather  have  gone  in  after  that  wolf, 
than  risk  the  hug  of  a  bear  thirty  or  forty 
feet  from  the  ground. 


m 

W'J-^^  in, 


^v 


On  the  Illinois  river,  near  two  hundred 
miles  from  its  junction  with  the  Missis- 
sippi, there  lived  in  1812,  an  old  pioneer, 
known  in  thcjse  da3's  as  "  Old  Parker,  the 
squatter."  His  family  consisted  of  a  wife 
and  three  children ;  the  eldest  a  boy  of  nine- 
teen, a  girl  of  seventeen,  and  the  youngest 

(327) 


328   MRS.  PARKER  AND  THE  INDIANS. 

a  boy  of  fourteen.  At  the  time  of  which 
we  write,  Parker  and  his  oldest  boy  had 
gone,  in  company  with  three  Indians,  on  a 
hunt,  expecting  to  be  absent  some  five  or 
six  days. — The  third  day  after  the  depar- 
ture, one  of  the  Indians  returned  to  Parker's 
house,  came  in  and  sat  himself  down  by 
the  tire,  lit  his  pipe,  and  commenced 
smoking  in  silence.  Mrs.  Parker  thought 
nothing  of  this,  as  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  one,  or  sometimes  more,  of  a  party 
of  Indians  to  return  abruptly  from  a  hunt, 
at  some  sign  they  might  consider  ominous 
of  bad  luck,  and  in  such  instances  were 
not  very  communicative.  But  at  last  the 
Indian  broke  silence  with  "  Ugh,  old  Par- 
ker die."  This  exclamation  immediately 
drew  Mrs.  Parker's  attention,  who  directly 
inquired  of  the  Indian,  "What's  the  matter 
with  Parker?"  The  Indian  responded, 
"  Parker  sick,  tree  fell  on  him,  you  go  he 
die."  Mrs.  Parker  then  asked  the  Indian 
if  Parker  sent  for  her,  and  where  he  was  ? 
The  replies  of  the  Indian  somewhat 
aroused   her    suspicions.      She,    howevei, 


MRS.    PARKER   AND    THE     INDIANS.       829 

came  to  the  conclusion  to  send  her  son 
with  the  Indian  to  see  what  was  the 
matter.  The  boy  and  the  Indian  started. 
That  night  passed,  and  the  next  day  too, 
and  neither  the  boy  nor  Indian  returned. 
This  confirmed  Mrs.  Parker  in  her  opinion 
that  there  was  foul  play  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians.  So  she  and  her  daughter  went 
to  work  and  barricaded  the  door  and 
windows  in  the  best  way  they  could. 
The  youngest  boy's  rifle  was  the  only  one 
left,  he  not  having  taken  it  with  him  when 
he  went  to  see  after  his  father.  The  old 
lady  took  the  ritle,  the  daughter  the  axe, 
and  thus  armed,  they  determined  to  watch 
through  the  night,  and  defend  themselves 
if  necessary.  They  had  not  long  to  wait 
after  nightfall ;  for,  shortly  after  that,  some 
one  commenced  knocking  at  the  door,  cry- 
ing out  "Mother,  mother;"  but  Mrs.  Parker 
thought  the  voice  was  not  exactly  like  that 
of  her  son's.  In  order  to  ascertain  the  fact, 
she  said  "  Jake,  where  are  the  Indians  ?" 
The  reply,  which  was  "  Um  gone,"  satisfied 

h-er  on  that  point.     She  then  said,  as  if 

28* 


330      MRS.    PARKER   AND    THE    INDIANS. 

speaking  to  her  son,  "  Put  your  ear  to  the 
latch-hole  of  the  door,  I  want  to  tell  vou 
something  before  I  open  the  door."  The 
head  was  placed  at  the  latch-hole,  and  the 
old  lady  lired  her  ritle  through  the  same 
spot,  and  killed  an  Indian.  She  stepped 
back  from  the  door  instantly,  and  it  was 
well  she  did  so,  for,  quicker  than  I  have 
penned  the  last  two  words,  two  rifle  bullets 
came  crashing  through  the  door.  The  old 
lady  then  said  to  her  daughter,  "Thank 
God,  there  is  but  two ;  I  must  have  killed 
the  one  at  the  door:  they  must  be  the 
three  who  went  on  the  hunt  with  3^our 
father.  If  we  can  only  kill  or  crii)ple 
another  one  of  them,  we  will  be  safe ; 
now  we  must  both  be  still  after  they  fire 
again,  and  they  will  then  break  the  dooi 
down,  and  I  may  be  able  to  shoot  another 
one;  but  if  I  miss  them  when  getting  in, 
you  must  use  the  axe." — The  daughter 
e(]ually  courageous  with  her  mother, 
assured  her  she  would. 

Soon  after  this  conversation  two  mor? 
rifle  bullets   came   ci'ashing  through    the 


MRS.  PARKER  AND  THE  INDIANS.   331 

window.  A  death-like  stillness  ensued  for 
about  five  minutes,  when  two  more  balls 
in  quick  succession  were  fired  through  the 
door,  then  followed  a  tremendous  punch- 
ing with  a  log,  the  door  gave  way,  and 
with  a  fiendish  yell  an  Indian  was 
about  to  spring  in,  when  the  unerring  ritie, 
fired  by  the  gallant  old  lady,  stretched 
his  lifeless  body  on  the  threshold  of  the 
door.  The  remaining,  or  more  properly, 
the  surviving,  Indian,  fired  at  random  and 
ran,  doing  no  injury.  "  Now,"  said  the  old 
heroine,  to  her  undaunted  daugliter,  "  we 
must  leave."  Accordingly,  with  the  rifle 
and  the  axe,  they  went  to  the  river,  took 
the  canoe,  and  without  a  mouthful  of  pro- 
vision, except  one  wild  duck  and  two 
blackbirds,  which  the  mother  shot,  and 
which  were  eaten  raw,  did  these  t\vo  cour- 
ageous hearts  in  six  days  arrive  among 
the  old  French  settlers  at  St.  Louis.  A 
party  of  about  a  dozen  men  crossed  over 
into  Illinois — and  after  an  unsuccessful 
search  returned  without  finding:  either 
Parker  or  his  boys.      They  were  never 


332        MRS.  PARKER   AND    THE    INDIANS. 

found.  There  are  yet  some  of  the  old 
settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Peoria  who 
still  point  out  the  spot  where  "  Old  Parker, 
the  squatter,"  lived. 

Such  examples  of  heroism  as  that  ex- 
hibited by  Mrs.  Parker  on  this  occasion 
were  by  no  means  unusual  in  the  old 
pioneer  times  of  the  West.  The  women 
in  those  days  were  accustomed  to  labor 
wdth  their  own  hands  ;  they  did  not  scorn 
to  use  the  agricultural  implements  of 
their  husbands  and  brothers,  whenever 
the  emergencies  of  the  season,  or  the  scant 
supply  of  labor,  made  it  seem  necessary  for 
them  to  do  so.  It  should  occasion  us,  there- 
fore, no  surprise,  when  we  find  them  lay- 
ing down  the  hoe  or  the  pitchfork,  and 
taking  up  the  rifle  for  the  defence  of  their 
homes. 


f) 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


^135  1  0  1951 

AUCi-     ■ 


-'    I 


»M«t) 


-^^^  ^  J7'l8[9|10[ll|12|ip|.t 

^ "  1954 


MV  '  5  RECU 
NOV  8      KlLB 

NOV  30^^55 


rv  6^^' 


Form  L9-42w-8,'49(B5573)444 


P.M. 

41516 


*rD- 


-W-- 


^ 


uu  ouLiincni'^  nt.  lii.'jml  LiDnMni  rHi_.iLii  t 


AA    000  525  410    7 


J 


